A church historical perspective on demonisation, deliverance and the Apostolic Faith Mision of South Africa

Abstract

Faith healing, or divine healing, has played an important historical role within the preaching and practice of the Pentecostal movement. Deliverance was seen as an integral part of the healing ministry of the church, with Pentecostals believing that the devil and his demons, as well as “demon-possession”, are an undeniable part of modern believers’ lives. In this article the historical development of the teaching about demonology, demonisation and deliverance in the Pentecostal movement, with emphasis on the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) of South Africa as a South African component of the movement, is investigated. It is concluded that the AFM has lost interest in this teaching and the practice of deliverance over the past three decades, that a systematic treatment of the subject has never been undertaken, and that a number of important issues have never been addressed.