This work investigates the cultural, religious, and political significance of demonic possession and the practice of exorcism within the context of early modern France. Sarah Ferber, a historian specializing in the history of medicine and religion, utilizes a wide array of primary sources including trial records, theological treatises, and medical accounts to analyze how these phenomena functioned as a battleground for competing authorities. The book argues that possession was not merely a superstitious relic but a complex social performance that reflected the anxieties of a society undergoing profound religious and intellectual shifts.

Historians and scholars of early modern Europe frequently cite this text as a rigorous examination of the intersection between faith and the burgeoning scientific method. Experts highlight the author's ability to synthesize complex theological debates with the social realities of the period, making it a foundational resource for understanding the decline of supernatural explanations in the French legal system.