TOWARDS AN INTERPRETATION OF THE PHENOMENA OF DEMON POSSESSED/DEMONIZED CHRISTIANS

In the pre-modern world people generally believed in the supernatural.  Individuals and culture as a whole believed in the existence of God (or gods), angels, and demons.  The visible world owed its existence and meaning to a spiritual realm beyond the senses.  However, such worldviews began to die with the coming of Enlightenment of 17th and 18th centuries.  The age of reason, scientific thinking, and human autonomy that characterized the Enlightenment brought to being the so-called natural religion.  The result was the disappearance of immanent God (Deism) and the rejection of the socalled “excluded middle” – the unseen world of spirits, and the supernatural.  Such attitude may well be summarized in Rudolf Bultmann’ famous statement:  “It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discovers, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament worlds of spirits and miracles.”


INTRODUCTION
In the pre-modern world people generally believed in the supernatural.
Individuals and culture as a whole believed in the existence of God (or gods), angels, and demons. The visible world owed its existence and meaning to a spiritual realm beyond the senses. However, such worldviews began to die with the coming of Enlightenment of 17 th and 18 th centuries. The age of reason, scientific thinking, and human autonomy that characterized the Enlightenment brought to being the so-called natural religion. The result was the disappearance of immanent God (Deism) and the rejection of the socalled ´excluded middleµ 41 ² the unseen world of spirits, and the supernatural. Such attitude may well be summarized in Rudolf Bultmann· famous statement: ´It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discovers, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament worlds of spirits and miracles.µ 42 However the collapse of modern culture with its materialistic naturalism that happened recently has made the pendulum swing from one extreme to another. There has been such a great awakening of the supernatural almost in every dimension of contemporary society. Inside the ecclesiastical setting, the Pentecostal-charismatic movement that puts much Turning to a specific group within the Pentecostal-charismatic movement, the so-called ´The Third Waver,µ45 we find such an extreme interpretation of the demonic seldom found among classical Pentecostals46 or even charismatics. The Third Wavers generally not only believe that the 43 'DYLG % %DUUHWW DQG 7RGG 0 -RKQVRQ ³$QQXDO 6WDWLVWLFDO 7DEOH RQ *OREDO 0LVVLRQ ´ International Bulletin 50th Anniversary (January 2000): 25 estimate that there are more than 523,767,000 Pentecostals/Charismatics around the globe.
44 John Seel, The Evangelical Forfeit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 1993), 43, noWHV WKDW 3HUHWWL ¶ This Present Darkness (1986) and Piercing the Darkness (1989)   Since such interpretation of the demonic has created a great deal of debate47 and even confusion among church members (even church ministers), I am motivated to do such a critical response. Therefore, in this paper I will attempt to identify the arguments used as support for the assertion that a born-again believer can be demon-possessed (or demonized) and then will critically evaluate them primarily in the light of exegetical and theological studies. In the end, I will include a proposal concerning a better way of interpreting such a phenomena (demon-possessed believers) by utilizing such integrative (biblical-theological-empirical) approach.

Experience Taking Priority over Biblical Exegesis
Certainly the Thirdwavers· ´doctrine ´ of a demon-possessed Christian did not originate in a biblical or theological class, as the Classical being.70 However, demons may ´invade and cause upheaval and chaos in the believers through his body and soul.µ71 Charles Kraft modifies Unger·s argument. His starting point is not tripartite anthropology, but dualistic, semi-platonic anthropology.72 He believes that human being consists of the innermost part (spirit) and ´the outer partsµ (mind, emotions, body, and will). A renewed spirit is considered as purer than mind, emotions, will, and body. Consequently, demons never gain access to the innermost part of human being, since it is ´joined to and filled with the Holy Spirit (Roma 8:16).µ73 But they can ´live in a Christian·s mind, emotions, body and will.µ74 Kraft·s theory further is sharpened by Clinton Arnold. He argues that human being consists of the core and ¶the margin·. While, the core signifies ´the center of his or her being, his or her ultimate nature and identity,µ75 the ¶margin· spells out his or her mind, will, and emotions. When a person becomes a born-again believer, he or she becomes a new creature (2 Cor 5:17). His or her old core identity which is corrupt, belongs to present evil age, and destined for death and wrath is transformed into new core identity, which is pure and holy, belongs to age to come, destined for life, and is indwelled by the Holy Spirit.76 Such a fundamental change however does not instantly transforms person·s mind, will, and emotions. It takes a gradual, progressive, and lifetime process to be image of God. In such process, a born-again believer faces difficulties due to the presence of sin (evil influences) that manifests in three forms: the flesh (evil inclination), the world (environment culture) and the devil (demons). Since sin may reign over a mortal body (Rom 6:12), demons that are one of these manifestations of sin may also ´reignµ in the life of a born-again Christian.77 In other words, Arnold believes that demons ´FDQ GRPLQDWH DQG « FDQ FRQWURO « ZLOO WDNH DV PXFK JRYHUQLQJ SRZHUV DV ZH ZLOO DOORZ WKHP WR take.µ78

OF THE DEMONIZATION OF GENUINE CHRISTIANS
A critical evaluation on the Thirdwavers· doctrine of the demonization of genuine Christians will be given in the following paragraphs. Firstly, it will pinpoint the problems of experience-based theology. Secondly, it will show the problems of using the word ´demonizedµ to depicts the phenomena of demon-possessed believers. Thirdly, it will demonstrate that ´partitive anthropologyµ which is often used by the defenders of the doctrine of demon-possessed believers is such a distorted reading on the biblical anthropology.

Giving Experience Its Due
It is true that real-life experience play important role for developing theology. As William W. Menzies says, ´Theology that has little or no relevance for live as it is lived in the kitchen or the market place may be a 77 Ibid., 89-90.
78 Ibid., 91. pleasant academic diversion, but it bears little resemblance to the theology of the biblical writers.µ79 If it is mishandled however experience may produce a distorted theology. Such distortion may happen primarily due to the nature of experience itself. First, ´a language of experience is by definition a plural language, since no two persons describe their lives in the same terms unless they have been forced into a unified language.µ80 Second, as Alister McGrath has noted, ´experience is not pre-theoretical data, but is actually theory-ladden: it is accompanied by interpretive elements,µ81 meaning that ´prior knowledge and belief plays a constitutive role in determining what we observe and experience.µ These facts should make us be cautious in using experience for developing theology.
So, how do we utilize experience in theologizing process? The best answer for this question may be found in William Menzies· methodology.
Menzies argues that experience does not establish theology, but verifies and demonstrates theological truth, found in the inductive (exegesis) and Dickason may argue that clinical evidence should be used as the origination of theology, since the Bible seems to be silent on the particular subject (demon possessed/demonized believers).84 Dickason·s judgment seems to be premature. It may be true that there is no declarative statement expressed in the Scripture regarding the impossibility of believers to be demonized or demon-posssessed. There however are some biblical texts whose implications are that there is impossible for believers to be demonized  cannot be demon possessed,µ it still has serious flaws. First, it seems to carry extra-biblical meaning that is most probably alien to the biblical authors. Second, even if the word ´demonizedµ could be used, it inherently carries the meaning that is not significantly different from ´demonpossessedµ.

Distorted Anthropology
As being described above, the advocates of ´a demonized/demon possessed believerµ generally develop ´partitiveµ anthropology to substantiate their thesis. At a glance, such view seems to gain much support from the Scripture. However if one looks more carefully, he or she would see instead of viewing human being partitively, the Bible conceives human being aspectively. This means that instead of regarding human being as made up of distinct part (body, soul, and spirit (Unger) or spirit and mind, will, emotions (Kraft and Arnold)) the Bible tends to conceive human being as a whole person existing on different dimension. First Thes. 5:23 for example, which is oft quoted to substantiate a partitive trichotomy of ´spirit, soul and bodyµ, comes in the context emphasizing wholeness in sanctification.90 Another text, Deuteronomy 6.5, indeed mentions, ´ heart, soul, and mightµ but it emphasizes the totality of commitment to serve God.
A more sounding partitive, semi platonic dichotomy of the ´coreµ (innermost part -spirit) and the margin (psychosomatic-body, mind, will, emotions) developed by Kraft and Arnold may sound more biblical than partitive trichotomy. However, looking at biblical data carefully will immediately show its serious flaws. Second Cor. 7: 1, for example, which speaks Paul·s exhortation to the Corinthians to cleanse themselves ´from every defilement of body and spiritµ, clearly implies that there can be defilement (or sin) in spirit. This consequently destroys Kraft and Arnold·s thesis ² that the ´coreµ as purer than the ´margin,µ and when transformed, as totally free from and untouchable by sin.
90 Mark 12:30, poses a question to three partite anthropology, if it is interpreted literally in the same manner as 1 Thes. 5:23. Here, human being is not considered as having three, but four components, namely heart, soul, mind, and strength (which implies the body).
The on-going, progressive renewal of the inner-man mentioned in 2 Cor 4:16 also puts Arnold·s thesis on the perfect status of a renewed spirit into question. The Inner-man Paul referring here undoubtedly speaks of the totality of Christian existence as a new creature that includes person·s mind, will, emotions and certainly spirit and body.91 Thus, elevating a renewed spirit to the status of ´the untouchable by sinµ seems to be more platonic than biblical.

DEMON-POSSESSED/DEMONIZED BELIEVERS
First of all we need to consider that even though the theological rationale given by the advocates of demonized believers may be naïveté, the seemingly demonic phenomena themselves may be genuine, not just ´the product of a hyperactive imagination or of a supercharged atmosphere.µ92 Thus the far-reaching question is not whether the phenomena reported is genuine or not but how we can interpret those phenomena properly within the framework of Christian theology.
To answer this far-reaching question satisfactorily we must acknowledge that there is a wide range of personal human disorders. The third wavers who allow only one of interpretation: demons, as the source of personal human disorders are guilty of being reductionists. They fail to recognize the complexity of human being. Is it coincidence that Paul employs a rich vocabulary in speaking about human being, even though his basic perspective is always the whole person?93 Did he realize that human being is psychologically, psychically, socially and spiritually complex? It seems so! Thus, even though the seemingly demonic symptoms is present within the so-called a born again believer, we cannot make a premature judgment that he or she is demonized or even demon possessed. The real problem may be psychosomatic illness, rather than demonization or demon possession. Dr. Archibald Hart, a professor of the School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, has alerted that schizophrenia, which is psycho-somatic disease due to a defect in a brain chemistry, may exhibit bizarre symptoms which are frequently found in the demon possession such as, social isolation and withdrawal; digressive, vague, over-elaborate 92 1LJHO * :ULJKW ³&KDULVPDWLF ,QWHUSUHWDWLRQ RI WKH 'HPRQLF ´ LQ The Unseen World, edited by Anthony N. S. Lane (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 1996) Furthermore, human being is not only complex; he or she is also ambiguous. ´The ¶I· is divided,µ writes James D.G. Dunn. ´It is the ¶I· that wants to do good and to avoid doing evil; but it is the same ¶I· which fails to do good and commits the evil . The culprit is sin; it enslaves the fleshy ¶I· and thus prevents the willing ¶I· from achieving what it wills (7.20).µ96 This ambiguity emerges due to the fact that there is overlapping between the present age and the age to come or the tension between ¶the already· and ¶not yet·. Thus, it is true that believers have ¶already· experienced the life of the age to come through the death of Christ and the gift of the Spirit, but it is also equally true that they have not been removed from the realm of the flesh. They are still en sarki, ´living in the present body of humiliation subject to realities of the present age.µ97 Therefore The implication of such understanding is far-reaching. First, we cannot simply say that salvation is a matter of ´getting inµ without any possibility of ´getting outµ ² ´once saved, always saved.µ Salvation, writes Gordon D. Fee, ´has to do with both getting in and staying in.µ98 To be staying in the believer must work out his or her own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 3:12) by keeping his or her in steps with the Spirit and rejecting to live according to the flesh (kata sarka). Failure to keep ¶staying in· results in the repulsion of the Spirit of Christ and loss of salvation.
When the Spirit does not indwell within the believer anymore, the ¶other spirits· may invade and possess him or her. This understanding may serve as a theological explanation behind a person who once showed signs of being a born-again believer and later manifest signs of demon possession.
Secondly, the coming of the age to come through the death of Christ and the gift of the Spirit indeed has brought an unrecoverable wound to the kingdom of darkness. However, such kingdom is not totally destroyed until the ´perfectµ comes. This consequently opens the possibilities of demonic attack upon the lives of believers. The vivid example for this is Paul·s ´thorn in the flesh experienceµ (2 Cor. 12: 7). Thus, it is clear that life in the Spirit does not exclude the demonic attack. However to say that such a demonic attack is identical with demonized or demon-possession is going too far.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we can say that the Third Waver·s arguments as support for the assertion that a born-again believer can be demon-possessed or demonized have been biblically and theologically questionable. Therefore, it is better to consider their interpretation an ´observation,µ rather than a theological interpretation of the demonic.
As final words, it is worth to listen to Nigel Wright·s constructive analysis and critique on modern charismatic (sic. the third wavers) approaches to the demonic: Two extremes should be avoided: the naturalist which would reduce the whole of these phenomena to a materialist explanation and the supernaturalist which allows only of one interpretation: demons.
Instead it should be recognized that human beings are complex both in the ways in which they are consciously and unconsciously related to one another, Once it is acknowledged that human beings are psychologically, socially, psychically and spiritually complex, we are encouraged to be more cautious about the ways in which we might interpret what is taking place before our very eyes.99 Let those who have ears listen!

AFTERWORDS
An ordained Lutheran minister and professor of theology at the University of Vienna, Suzanne Heine, says ´ The rise of heretical group is always a sign that orthodoxy has become heretical.µ100 In other words, as Charles Hummel says, ´history shows that most basic doctrinal deviation arises from the church·s denial of biblical truth ² in practice if not in preaching. Effort to remedy this lack then send the pendulum to an opposite extreme.µ101 It is a fact that demonology has been neglected for many years. The greatest theologian of 20th century, Karl Barth, for example, in his magnum opus, Church Dogmatics, only devotes a relatively ´tiny spaceµ on this topic.102 Classical Pentecostals theologians are guilty of the same fault.
They seem to be preoccupied with their theological distinctive, viz., Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a distinct from and subsequent experience to conversion with speaking in tongues as its physical evidence. As, Wonsuk Ma says, Two traditionally neglected areas of systematic theology have been demonology and angelology. It could be argued that Pentecostals have been in a good position to these theological categories, given their experiential relationship to the Holy Spirit, their insights into the spiritual world, and their keen awareness of the spiritual forces at work, especially in human affairs. In fact, testimonies of supernatural power encounters characterize Pentecostal mission. However, Pentecostals have been slow to make theological contributions to these areas of demons and angels and how they relate to human life.
Even a little exercise in drawing empirical generalizations from their own experiences could have contributed to an understanding of spiritual warfare.103 As a result of this neglect, there has been ´theological vacuumµ in the area of demonology and angelology. Hiebert calls such a situation, ´the flaw of the excluded middle.µ104 Dickason, Peter Wagner, Kraft and others certainly concern for this theological vacuum. This has motivated them to develop such a demonology that is able to answer satisfactorily the demand of pastoral works and mission field in the post-modern age. Inspite of being biblically and theologically inadequate, their works in some degree have helped some people to cope with their personal and social pains. Therefore, it is not enough to point out the biblical error or exegetical fallacies of Third Wave· interpretation of the demonic; we need to acknowledge our ignorance on this area in the past and then begin putting much effort to produce demonology which is faithful to biblical testimonies and relevant to our contemporary situations. Only by so doing, we can avoid two kinds of error mentioned in C.S. Lewis· Screwtape Letters There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. 105