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Oct 19, 2011

Andrew rated it:

A solid work and reasonable presentation of actual information regarding a Christian perspective on Satan, demons, and exorcism (from the Roman Catholic angle).

There is so much trash written and practiced concerning this subject; it is extremely difficult to find real information presented in a rational, theologically sound manner. I read this book in its entirety as an open-minded skeptic, fully expecting to be disappointed but willing to give it a shot. I don't regret it. It is a sub More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Aug 03, 2011

Kevin added it

An excellent documentary book on the science of exorcism. It is so unlike what is common knowledge of the subject as presented by sensationalist Hollywood movies that it is certainly worth a read.

The movie that was inspired by this book was certainly another Hollywood distortion, whose story was purposely modified to make it attractive to more viewers. Quite understandable, perhaps.

The most enjoyable part of the book is the encounter with straightforward plain-speaking Roman priests for whom exo More...

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Mar 23, 2009

Jeffry rated it:

This book follows a Catholic priest from California on his sabbatical in Rome, where he attends a course about exorcism and apprentices with an experienced Italian exorcist. Starting this journey with little more than a Hollywood understanding of demons and exorcism, Fr. Gary experiences just how mundane and boring, as well as frightening and supernatural exorcisms can be as he witnesses over 80 of them.

The reader gets to learn about the history, theology, and practicalities of exor More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 18, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio is a fascinating, thorough, and thought-provoking look at exorcism through the perspective of a Catholic priest, Father Gary, reluctantly sent to the Vatican to learn how to become an exorcist. He goes to actual classes and witnesses exorcisms performed by a grizzled Italian priest, Father Carmine.

"...[W]hen a demon 'possesses' a person, he is merely acting on that person...'During a possession the demon is not present; i More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 17, 2011

Danica rated it:

I loved this book. I saw the movie, "The Rite" and immediately wanted to read the book, not because it was scary like the Exorcist, but because the fundamental story beneath both the movie and the book was the story of someone coming to terms with an ancient ritual and it's place in the modern world. The movie is interesting and played for much dramatic effect, but the book is excellent in its focus on the training of a priest and the practical application of the skills he learns. T More...

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Feb 11, 2011

Maureen rated it:

The most unusual feature about this book, given its subject matter, is that it is absolutely devoid of any of the dramatic excess one usually finds in a book on this topic. It could have been subtitled "Exorcism 101," because the author traces the progress of an American priest in Rome on his journey to becoming an exorcist. Along the way, the book examines the history of exorcism, the importance of doing a psychiatric examination and how symptoms of various psych disorders may resem More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 06, 2011

Yune rated it:

I picked this one up mostly out of curiosity, and I think it's actually dulled that curiosity, rather than quenching it (or leaving it in place). Start with some life history of a modern-day Californian Catholic parish priest, Father Gary, who goes to Rome to learn to become an exorcist. Run through lots of examples of possessions in their myriad forms, mostly of folks who line up outside the door of an Italian exorcist who helps train Father Gary. Add various details which seem to prove the More...

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Oct 11, 2009

Al rated it:

This is a strange book in that on the one hand it unquestioningly endorses the need for exorcism within the Roman Catholic religion, and on the other hand, is written as if to appeal to the wow-factor for modern-day 'possession' by demons. In the latter sense the book follows the 'making' of a modern exorcist priest as he gradually becomes inducted into a fellowship of exorcists. The individual stories met along the way range from the mere puzzling to more hair-raising narratives. Overall, ho More...

11 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Ethan rated it:

hmm.. Well, I buy it. Demons, possessions, the whole shebang. I think there's much more true about this book than there is false (not suggesting any deliberate falsehoods, just accurate reporting of potentially inaccurate secondhand stories). If you accept the main premise of any religion, then certain corollaries must logically follow. I accept Christianity, and, as a corollary, must accept that Scripture and Tradition are both chock-full of accounts of possessions. Especially relevant More...

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Jan 10, 2011

Arun rated it:

Certain topics or subjects capture my interest at various points in time, these are like some of your co-passengers in a bus ride. You notice where they get in and you notice where they get out but the moment the bus drives away from the stop you forget them. But then at some totally unexpected moment, you just might remember a face and nothing else to associate a memory with. I have had a great many such topics on which I have researched the internet voraciously. One of such interests is Exorci More...

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Apr 20, 2009

Stephen rated it:

While this book has moments of true creep factor, it is not a sensationalist view of exorcism. If you are looking for screaming material go pick up a copy of The Exorcist. The book does contain some interesting facts such as more women than men seek exorcism, and Italy has more exorcism than just about anywhere else. Make what you want out of that, but for my part I do believe that demons exist. I just think the less said about them, the better.

That said, I can say the book is wr More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Nov 18, 2011

Steve rated it:

This book is SOOOOO Catholic. Not a bad thing if you're reading, for example, something heavy like Pope Benedict's Introduction to Christianity. But with The Rite, what you're getting is something along the lines of an EWTN production. I'm somewhat surprised that this book is gathering so many positive reviews, since its focus is so narrow, pretty much excluding non-Catholic Christians, and non-Christians (demonic possession is a phenomena that goes beyond Christianity). From the get-go the bo More...

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Nov 10, 2011

Sinn rated it:

After watching The Rite, I was curious about reading the book is was based on. I was fairly skeptical as to whether this book would actually be a work of fiction or if it would be something else. What I found was an excellent scholarly work that gives an interesting glimpse into exorcism. While Baglio is a Catholic, I felt that it was not biased one way or the other. On the contrary, I felt it was informative and based solely on research and his dealings with the Catholic exorcists in Rome.
More...

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Apr 27, 2009

Justin rated it:

Demonic possession is the most stigmatized and stereotyped of all border phenomena. And I say border as I refer to the line between what we consider normal and experiences we can't explain. Perhaps the movies are to blame for our idea of what an exorcism consists of, a little girl screams when splashed with holy water, or a deep evil voice manifests. Neuroscience and psychology associate demonic possession with a call for attention or a misinterpretation of a modern disease like schizophrenia. More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 16, 2011

Lisse rated it:

I checked this book out from the library b/c I had seen the previews for the movie starring Anthony Hopkins and they mentioned it was based on true events. I have not seen the movie, but it has to be greatly exaggerated from the book for it to be anything worth watching.

The purpose of this book was to tell the story of Father Gary, an American priest sent to Rome to learn about exorcism and become an exorcist himself. I felt the author was all over the place with the information h More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Harold rated it:

Great book. I was hoping that it would be more like the movie but it was nothing like it. I should've known that whenever a movie says it is based on something that doesn't means that it is at all like what it is based on.

The Rite is not so much a linear story in which a person becomes possessed and they seek out an exorcist and in turn the exorcist expelled the demon. This is more of a story on how an American priest became an exorcist and the rituals in which the Catholic church has More...

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Oct 13, 2011

Karen L. rated it:

I found this book to be a real surprise. I had preconceived ideas that though based on true stories, the book might still get sensational and it did not. The author had a style that was genuine and humble. The story followed the journey of , Father Gary, an American Priest,who was in Rome to become an Exorcist for his diocese in the U.S. He introduced us to the culture of the Vatican campus, the kindly priests and the sad victims who suffer from possession. Some of these stories broke my heart. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 29, 2011

Alyson rated it:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this. Suffice it to say that I was pleasantly surprised. This is not a sensational book out to shock readers with descriptions of violent exorcisms. Instead, Baglio takes a journalistic approach in which he examines the history of exorcism, the Catholic Church and her practices, as well as how the scientific community views the possibility of demonic influence in a person's life. While he does follow one priest's education as a new exorcist and More...

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May 31, 2011

Patrick rated it:

A good summary of the topic of Exorcism. If you're looking for a book filled with hair-raising accounts of exorcisms you're probably going to be disappointed. Though accounts of exorcisms are included, that really isn't the focus of the book. 'The Rite' is intended to cover the topic in a way that clears misconceptions about what exactly constitutes both demonic possession and how it is handled. This "matter-of-fact" approach will likely be a turn-off for someone looking for a book to More...

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Jan 31, 2012

Mark rated it:

Interesting book. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I'd known it wasn't fiction. The most interesting part of this book, to me, is how telling it is with regard to how the modern Roman Catholic church views possession and exorcism, as compared to the church just 20 or 30 years ago. The book literally follows a parish priest from Northern California as he's named by his bishop to be the diocese's exorcist, goes to Italy for training, and then interns under another exorcist for several m More...

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Jun 09, 2011

Anne rated it:

This book was an eye-opener about the seriousness with which the Catholic Church takes the rite of exorcism in the world today. The author, Matt Baglio follows a reluctant exorcism candidate, nominated by his American bishop, to Rome, where he enrolls in exorcism school. The training and mindset required to become an exorcist was low-key and pragmatic. I was impressed with the respect that people suffering from demonic influences are treated. There was no inclusion of Stephen King-type "Car More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 23, 2010

Kelly rated it:

OMG!!! I could not put this book down. It is by far THE BEST book I have ever read on exorcisms. The book is true life, modern day and follows a priest named Father Gary as he is called to attend exorcism school in Rome, Italy. He receives both classroom and hands-on training in how to exorcise demons that have possessed people. It is amazing how hush-hush the whole topic of possession is, and that most people do not believe in it. However, it is very real and very scary. I rented this book from More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 20, 2011

Ana rated it:

The book was awful and extremelly boring. I regret wasting so much time on it. I only started reading it, because it seemed interesting, but it is tru you can`t judge a book by its covers. It is a very interesting subject, the theme of excorcism and church vs. science, belief against proof, but the author destroyed it. It anyone, and I mean anyone else had written it, I guarantee it would have been a fenomenal novel, but instead, it was a mockery. The style was beyond boring and dull and uninter More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Dec 21, 2011

Diane rated it:

Although this book reads somewhat like a textbook, it is fascinating. I am only on page 57 and I find it so interesting, that I don't want to put it down.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jun 08, 2011

Thad rated it:

Not like the movie. This was more of a "documentary" on the Catholic rite of exorcism. It delved a bit into the history of exorcism in the church, and the theologic rationale behind it. While not excessive with doctrine, I thought that the author gave a simple, yet useful viewpoint on how practicing Catholics see evil, and especially the capacity of the Adversary to influence our physical bodies.

As a Mormon with little background in Catholicism, I really enjoyed what I l More...

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Feb 10, 2011

Lois rated it:

This was a very interesting, factual book on a particular priest's journey as an exorcist. Although a little heavy on Roman Catholicism, it was mostly just very interesting. I didn't find it particularly creepy or sensationalized. Just as Father Gary felt comfortable walking at night following a series of exorcisms, I had no trouble sleeping at night after reading some of the accounts. In contrast to the book, I disliked the movie - I'd be surprised if you would like both. I think the major More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 02, 2012

Steven rated it:

If you come to this book expecting it to be anything like the Anthony Hopkins movie you'll be very, very disappointed. There's no red-eyed mule, no frogs, nobody strapped to a hospital bed, and no possessed mentor priest. Other than the basic premise of an American priest going to Rome to become an exorcist, there's almost nothing else common between book and film. Hopefully Matt Baglio was able to laugh all the way to the bank with Hollywood's money and didn't get too upset at the film treatmen More...

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Aug 13, 2011

Ernesto rated it:

A pesar de que creo que es un excelente trabajo de sensibilización sobre lo que seguramente será una de las especializaciones más ingratas en una profesión ya bastante ingrata, por lo menos para muchos sacerdotes realmente comprometidos, creo que también se queda corto el estudio en varias cosas que explica. No es un tema en el que me gustaría profundizar mucho, pero si que me hubiera dejado mas claros algunos puntos.

De todas formas presenta de una forma digerible un tema difícil. Rec More...

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Feb 14, 2011

Patrick rated it:

Diverting mostly for its limited look inside the inner workings of the Vatican. There are also some nicely lurid descriptions of exorcisms, but as a work of journalism it's lacking. Baglio doesn't spend nearly enough time justifying or trying to prove the existence of demons and the reality of demonic possession. Mostly it dwells on the mundane routine of actual exorcisms. Don't expect head-spinning or levitation off the bed. If you're a believer, it's eye-opening. If you're a skeptic, you'd be More...

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Jun 07, 2011

Jonathan rated it:

Matt Baglio profiles Fr. Gary Thomas, a "reluctant exorcist" appointed by his bishop to study exorcism in Rome. Fr. Thomas -- and Baglio -- offer a balance of Catholic faith and prudent skepticism. From his first class on the subject to his apprenticeship to a veteran exorcist, Fr. Thomas' tale is presented in clear, crisp prose. Baglio does a commendable job of presenting the Church's position on exorcism, cutting through popular myth and misconceptions. A good read for anyone looking More...

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