Interview With an Exorcist: An Insider's Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance

Great information for those who are called to battle the demonic

I have read extensively in the exorcism/deliverance genre yet really appreciated this book on many levels. It is a very good introduction to the subject, and it also has very practical and fascinating information on Fr. Fortea's many personal experiences and observations during exorcisms (he has assembled additional information on his site (www dot fortea dot us) which also very interesting and helpful). Importantly, this book also describes what most exorcists typically encounter- this has allowed me to understand that some of the exorcisms described by Fr. Malachi Martin in "Hostage to the Devil" (Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans) are exceptional in their severity and degree of demonic manifestations. In my opinion, a good follow-up to Fr. Fortea's book would be Fr. Gabrielle Amorth's two books (An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories).As an aside, just this past week I had the opportunity to hear Father Fortea speak, and I was deeply impressed with his humility and the power of his message- don't fear, rely on Christ, and educate yourself enough to have some understanding of the dark enemy. He also made the point that if those who seek to summon demons for dark purposes can do so in group settings, why shouldn't Christians also seek the presence of the Holy Spirit in groups? He also said that he hoped to have an English translation of another of his books in Spanish ready in the near future. I will also say that if you have the opportunity to receive a blessing from him, you should readily accept the opportunity. This man is a legitimate conduit of the Holy Spirit, and I was deeply honored to hear him speak and receive a blessing (and I am not even Catholic).

I was a little hesitant to order this book at first, because I prefer to read about God in our lives, not the devil. However, after reading the description and some of the reviews, I gave it a shot. Boy am I glad I did! Although the title of the book makes it seem extreme or a type of cult book or something, in reality nothing could be further from the truth. This book deals with sin, and the methods that evil spirits use to entice us to commit them. While the book does go into reasons for demonic possessions, etc., what I got out of this book fostered a broader knowledge of sin and how much God loves us and is willing to help us avoid them. It is my opinion that the writings in this book are "dead on" with what we've learned through the experiences in the lives of many saints. The means and manner in which we are tempted and how the soul is affected by sin are ratified in Catholic teachings and personal experiences of the saints. This book is very enlightening and causes one to pause and reflect on the world we live in and how God and the devil are very active in our lives even as we go about our daily activities. As others have stated, there are no theatrics here, just interractions based on the personal experiences of Father Fortea. Personally, I think every Catholic (or Christian for that matter) should read this book. Although it's light reading, it's extremely intriguing.

This book was interesting to read. It was not what I expected thus the one star. It explains the differnt types of possession. If you are looking for stories of what happens to a person who is possessed this is not your book

Father Fortea writes, “The love of God is not created; it must be freely given by a created being.” (Pg. 15)I’ve read a variety of books written by a variety of exorcists. This book I’m finding to be helpful on a contemplative level of understanding the existence of evil and the necessity of deliverance and exorcism. This is a dimension that I believe is critical in the formation of someone called to this ministry.

Fr. Jose's work is very well-written/translated, and goes very far in explaining the basics of demonology. He is quite clear in his explanations and providing a context for more 'colorful' books, like 'Hostage to the Devil' Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans and 'The Demonologist' The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren which need to be taken with a bit more salt given their dramatic styles.This book is also probably a bit more orthodox in terms of its presentation of Roman Catholic teachings on the topic. My only real criticism is that it focuses exclusively on hard-core demonic possession, and really does not discuss the mechanics of 'demonic influence' all the way down to 'human spirit hauntings,' which are far more common. I give the book five stars because he lives up to his promise in the introduction, and I hope Fr. Jose will consider further books on related topics.