Saints, demons, and faith – A review of the historical interaction between Christianity and epilepsy

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior 2022-10, Vol.135, p.108870-108870, Article 108870
• Main Authors: Mameniškienė, Rūta, Puteikis, Kristijonas, Carrizosa-Moog, Jaime
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bible; Christianity; Demons; Epilepsy; Religiosity; Saints; Spirituality
• ISSN: 1525-5050; 1525-5069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108870

•Supernatural agents have long been thought to cause epilepsy.•We argue that epilepsy stigma in Christianity is not inherent to the Bible.•Epilepsy among saints is meaningful only within a historical and cultural context.•Contemporary care should consider the impact of religion on patients with epilepsy. The view that epilepsy is caused by demonic possession prevailed throughout the Middle Ages and re-emerges in rare cases of misguided exorcisms even in modern Western societies. This review reflects on the biblical sources of the demonic understanding of seizures and the subsequent marginalization of people with epilepsy. While the development of science led to a decline in beliefs of supernatural causes of seizures, the link between Christianity and epileptology is sustained through recurrent considerations of epileptic phenomena among religious figures. The influence of epilepsy on the legacy of historical persons of Christianity should be regarded with caution because of limited clinical evidence in historical documents. However, it should be acknowledged that religious experiences, as well as general religiosity, can be important in modern-day epilepsy care as they are shown to have psychological, societal, and even clinical implications. Further studies should expand our knowledge on the contemporary importance of the Christian tradition for people with epilepsy.