Christopher Neil-Smith
Encyclopedia
Christopher Neil-Smith was an Anglican priest originally from Hampstead
best known for his practice of exorcism
and parapsychological interests.
A vicar
at St. Saviour's Anglican Church in North London
, he performed more than three thousand exorcisms in Britain since 1949. In 1972, the Bishop of London
authorized him to exorcise demons
according to his own judgement.
Neil-Smith wrote Praying for daylight: God through modern eyes as well as The Exorcist and the Possessed in which he detailed his experiences and beliefs about exorcism. In the latter, he claimed that evil should be treated as an actual force rather than an abstract idea.
Appearing on radio and television programs, he became well known in the public debates about exorcism in the mid-1970s following the popular response to Peter Blatty's The Exorcist
. According to biographers, the media emphasized the more dramatic elements in his ministry, and encouraged him to extravagances which he later regretted. Neil-Smith died at the age of 75. He was married, and had two sons.
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
best known for his practice of exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
and parapsychological interests.
A vicar
Vicar (Anglicanism)
Vicar is the title given to certain parish priests in the Church of England. It has played a significant role in Anglican Church organisation in ways that are different from other Christian denominations. The title is very old and arises from the medieval situation where priests were appointed...
at St. Saviour's Anglican Church in North London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he performed more than three thousand exorcisms in Britain since 1949. In 1972, the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
authorized him to exorcise demons
Christian demonology
Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible , the exegesis of these scriptures, the scriptures of early Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs.-Development:In monotheistic...
according to his own judgement.
Neil-Smith wrote Praying for daylight: God through modern eyes as well as The Exorcist and the Possessed in which he detailed his experiences and beliefs about exorcism. In the latter, he claimed that evil should be treated as an actual force rather than an abstract idea.
Appearing on radio and television programs, he became well known in the public debates about exorcism in the mid-1970s following the popular response to Peter Blatty's The Exorcist
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...
. According to biographers, the media emphasized the more dramatic elements in his ministry, and encouraged him to extravagances which he later regretted. Neil-Smith died at the age of 75. He was married, and had two sons.
See also
- Johann BlumhardtJohann BlumhardtJohann Christoph Blumhardt was a German Lutheran theologian and the father of Christoph Blumhardt.The elder Blumhardt was educated for the Reformed ministry and, after a brief term as executive for a missionary society, became pastor in Möttlingen, an obscure village of Württemberg, southern Germany...