The Martin Cycle

Abstract This chapter examines the life of Malachi Martin and the influence of his 1976 book, Hostage to the Devil, on Christian demonology as well as horror films. Through his book, as well as numerous media appearances, Martin did much to persuade the public that exorcism is not a rare phenomenon, but actually common. In addition, this chapter argues that Martin was unfamiliar with Catholic traditions of exorcism and simply used his authority as a priest and his storytelling abilities to invent plausible details about demonology and exorcism. In doing so, he effectively rewrote the Catholic tradition of exorcism. Finally, Martin’s writings did much to link contemporary discussion of exorcism to a milieu of conspiracy theories. This chapter also traces how Martin’s ideas of exorcism have come to be used by Catholic authorities, mental health professionals, and horror movies.