American Exorcists feat Sam Kestenbaum (E292)
Demonic exorcism isn’t just a solid premise for horror films. It’s also the hook for an increasingly popular group of pentecostal pastors who leverage social media, spiritual warfare, and outrage to spread their message.
Tennessee pastor Greg Locke is the most prominent member of a supergroup of evangelical ghostbusters who call themselves the “Demon Slayers.” Together, they cross promote videos of supposed exorcisms (which they call “deliverance”), host live events that attract thousands of believers hoping to rid themselves of infernal forces, and even produce feature-length films.
Reporter Sam Kestenbaum embedded himself in Greg Locke’s operation, Locke Media, to see this algorithm-fuelled demon slaying first hand. He wrote about his experience in a longform piece for Harper’s Magazine and told us about personally witnessing a massive congregation shriek and convulse during a tent revival group exorcism.
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QAA was known as the QAnon Anonymous podcast.
SOURCES:
https://harpers.org/archive/2024/08/the-demon-slayers-sam-kestenbaum-exorcisms/
https://www.ourmansfieldandarea.org.uk/content/topics/religion/john-darrell
Comments (55)
I love you Julian
The demons are in on the fun, too. These group exorcisms are a safe space for the repressed and oppressed possessed to get freaky. The relief of being absolved, because your sins were the demons, not your fault, could be a powerful drug. And the public theatre of exorcism seems a lot more fun than privately praying 10 Hail Mary’s and three Our Fathers. Also, the demons are pretty accommodating. Michael Cuneo (American Exorcism, Doubleday, 2001) told me how the preachers would announce at 9:45 that they only had the auditorium until 10 pm, say, and the pandemonium would settle down quick.
Weeetches
Man the Auto-Q… dude created a literal witch hunt in his own congregation for no discernible reason.
They’re having a supernatural life conference down the street from my house. Please go undercover and exercise Jake’s demons!
Travis is already possessed by a Vulcan.
If artificial intelligence can't analyze the QAA back catalog, isolate Jake's demon(s), and insert them into an AI Travis, what are we even doing?
The release of energy reminds of me various cults from the 70s to now. I will also say that you can find rituals everywhere from reiki energy cleansing to tarot card readings. There is a whole secular ritual industry in the ASMR community. Watching religious leaders in the Catholic Church swing a giant censer makes me feel like ASMR started in religious communities and the tingles have become secularized.
I’m glad you included the last anti-witch clip with its seething hatred. While I appreciate the reporter’s empathy, it is worth bearing in mind how much trauma is visited on those coded as unrepentant or evil, such as unsubmissive women, by these subcultures.
Truly transported back to the worst part of my pentecostal upbringing after hearing you mention the Shofar… great job!
When the guys mention the "Demon Slayers" then the anime of the same name (Kimetsu no Yaiba) kept popping into my head and giving me a chuckle.
Same here! I kept hearing the intro song in my head
Wonder what demon Baldur’s Gate 3 is?? Same as the DnD demon or are they distinct because one is tabletop and one is a video game..🤔
It's the homebrew demon, you throw potions at the possessed to heal them
Pro tip if you want to ride bikes with the guy: find his activities on Strava and there will likely be a regular group ride he frequents. Better yet, ask him to recommend a bike shop to you and go in to talk to the mechanics who work on his bike. I bet they have more insight than he's aware of.
Seems like these guys are following in the path of Bob Larson, who went from Christian personal problems talk radio host to demonologist/exorcist grifter.
I spent the first 13 years of my life growing up in the pentecostal world... not surprised to see it's only gotten worse. Some teachings I remember: - Jewish people/religion OK bc of Christianity originating from their faith; however they were still seen as "less than" Christians - Jewish people important to the 2nd coming of Jesus but they can't get into heaven bc they rejected Jesus and his being the son of God - Catholics aren't "real" Christians - Mormons are a "cult" So much bullshit to unlearn.
Sorry to hear this. I don’t know why these old time religions are still pervasive. Maybe because the only realm of innovation in the south has been in music. Sorry but true. The music tho. Excellent.
I’m visiting just outside Tampa and I’ve seen *two* sort of “Jewish-inspired” Christian churches. They have Hebrew names, hold service on Saturdays, and call themselves congregations. It’s extremely bizarre. Americans are deeply starved for ritual and tradition. Catholicism isn’t an option for most evangelicals (Rome is the Whore of Babylon ofc) and Orthodoxy is Catholicism for ethnics so they’ve gotta find something else.
By holding the radical right so high, Ronald Reagan managed to ruin the country even more than he did otherwise. It’s kind of amazing how one president could oversee so much societal failure and people just think he’s the best.
Sufjan Stevens mentioned 🚨
Locke's church is in my town. He's such a fucking embarrassment.
Noo! I am playing WoW as i listen. I have a demon in me
I mean, goddamn, these lunatics are on the precipice of live-streamed, literal, "witch trials." This Neo Dark Age rocks... 😒
I feel bad for the 3 witches.
Goddamn, the last 2 episodes have taught me Tennessee may actually be the most pilled state.
I honestly would not be at all surprised if Shawn Taylor knows Greg Locke. Shit, they're probably friends.
Witches are like, nope. 🤣
Right! Can you imagine the atmosphere at dude's wife's prayer group the next day??
This comment has Rear Window vibes and I love it!
Wait - this was a reply to the dog comment but it posted here? But, I like how Patreon makes you look like a dork every now and then in just this way so I’m cool with it.
Tennessee holding back to back Ls, why did they do me like this
Julian's Deliverance movie joke flew way under the radar.. but I see you fam 🎵🪕
Serious Jim Jones vibes from this motherfucker
Rev Rhyme might be tasteless but it’s some str8 horror core like the Gravediggaz
Hello. Great story. Lifelong student and now instructor of religion here.... Evangelicals are obsessed with all things Jewish because they believe Jesus will only return (and they REALLY want Jesus to return) after the temple on Temple Mount is rebuilt and more Jews return to Israel. I kept confusing the main figure in this story, Greg Locke, with Greg Laurie as I was listening. Greg Laurie has been an Evangelical preacher theatrically fighting demons for decades. He even has his own academy of sorts where people can learn about demons and how to slay them. Maybe some of Locke's cohorts got their start there?
Can confirm having grown up in the Pentecostal church... I remember being taught that the Jews were the key to Jesus's second coming but that they won't be welcome into heaven because they rejected Jesus and belief in him as the son of God.
it never stops being funny hearing liberals and leftists smugly talk about people who don't believe the pandemic is real while talking about the pandemic in the past tense.
I refer to the pandemic as a time period when it seemed a critical mass of people and the US govt. took it at least a tiny bit seriously, but I get what you're saying. I use it in the past tense too but also recognize it's still happening? Language is weird in how it reflects a multitude of understandings of reality.
Julian gets boxed out soooo hard in this one!
For real man. He got Jake'd, hard. Deliverance joke, Jamaican voice, "but I have blown a chauffeur", ect... All totally under appreciated! But we the ppl, love you Jules.
When I play Fallout 4 I always have on settlement whose occupants I dress in the preacher clothes. I love watching a pretty girl dressed as a preacher mow down raiders with a gatling laser and Molatav cocktails! Book recommendations; The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan The God Delusion, by Richard Dawson
I have a question, why are Americans obsessed with demons? I mean, they don't exist! Fun in fiction, but really... As a mild epileptic I'd be terrified some fool was going to try to exorcise me if I had a seizure!
Demon belief is hardly restricted to the USA! There’s been a racket in my hometown for years specifically targeting immigrants from China out of $ to combat possession
Oh man, I haven't listened to the episode yet but I have a personal connection to this one. Around 2016 my dad started taking a medication called requip, one of the side effects of which is severe hallucinations in some people. Thought he could see ghosts and thought he was possessed. Eventually him and my stepmom turned to this exorcist type figure, I wish I could remember his name, but it was something like pastor Mike. Him and his people which I think was just his sons did an exorcism on our house, which according to my dad, actually did help. They were extremely thankful to this man and would let him stay at the house while they were traveling. Once I was coming home for the weekend and my dad let me know that the pastor and his son were going to be asleep in our living room when I got there. When I pulled up in the driveway, their car literally had branded decals and graphic design advertising their exorcism service. When I walked in the door to the foyer, where we always take off our shoes, the first thing I noticed was an actual fucking pair of snakeskin shoes sitting there. I tiptoed into the kitchen past I'm sleeping on The couches and went to the fridge to get a glass of water, only to find a bottle of the pastor's branded hot sauce in our fridge. I only saw them briefly while they were awake in the morning before they left, and I didn't really talk to them, but the guy absolutely had a full handlebar mustache. Completely ridiculous
Damn dude, that sucks. Hope your family is doing ok. Those ppl are literal parasites.
I have to admit… I didn’t hate son flow, 🤣 He had like a mix of Old School Scarface and Ice Cube mix going on.
Assembly vibe
That's all a bit unfair on the little dog don't you think?
Please, which video is that Isaiah Saldivar clip from?
Travis will only cut his hair once the last lie has been debunked and the grill has been cleaned.
20 years from now, the legend of the Boggy Creek Travis will be whispered, far and wide.
I hope next one will be about Trump sharing qanon content again :)
"Qanon Update!"
The first shall be last! …damnit