{"product_id":"the-rite","title":"The Rite - The Making of a Modern Exorcist","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe inspiration for the film starring Anthony Hopkins, journalist Matt Baglio uses the astonishing  story of one American priest's training as an exorcist to reveal that  the phenomena of possession, demons, the Devil, and exorcism are not  merely a remnant of the archaic past, but remain a fearsome power in  many people's lives even today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFather Gary Thomas was  working as a parish priest in California when he was asked by his bishop  to travel to Rome for training in the rite of exorcism. Though  initially surprised, and\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eslightly reluctant, he accepted this  call, and enrolled in a new exorcism course at a Vatican-affiliated  university, which taught him, among other things, how to distinguish  between a genuine possession and mental illness. Eventually he would go  on to participate in more than eighty exorcisms as an apprentice to a  veteran Italian exorcist. His experiences profoundly changed the way he  viewed the spiritual world, and as he moved from rational skeptic to  practicing exorcist he came to understand the battle between good and  evil in a whole new light. Journalist Matt Baglio had full access to  Father Gary over the course of his training, and much of what he learned  defies explanation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Rite\u003c\/i\u003e provides fascinating  vignettes from the lives of exorcists and people possessed by demons,  including firsthand accounts of exorcists at work casting out demons,  culminating in Father Gary's own confrontations with the Devil. Baglio  also traces the history of exorcism, revealing its rites and rituals,  explaining what the Catholic Church really teaches about demonic  possession, and delving into such related topics as the hierarchy of  angels and demons, satanic cults, black masses, curses, and the various  theories used by modern scientists and anthropologists who seek to  quantify such phenomena.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, \u003ci\u003eThe Rite \u003c\/i\u003eshows that the truth about demonic possession is not only stranger than fiction, but also far more chilling.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51166501896480,"sku":"9780385522717","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0836\/3661\/7504\/files\/9780385522717.jpg?v=1769717222","url":"https:\/\/creativebysanchez.com\/products\/the-rite","provider":"Creative By Sanchez","version":"1.0","type":"link"}