This book deals with a fascinating and original claim in 16th-century
Europe. Witches should be cured, not executed. It was the physician
and scholar Johann Wier (1515-1588) who challenged the dominant idea.
For his defense of witches, more than three centuries later, Sigmund
Freud chose to put Wier's work among the ten books to be read.
According to Wier, Satan seduced witches, thus they did not deserve to
be executed, but they must be cured for their melancholy. When the
witch hunt was rising, Wier was the first to use some of the arguments
adopted in the emerging debate on religious tolerance in defence of
witches. This is the first overall study of Wier which offers an
innovative view of his thought, by highlighting Wier's sources and his
attempts to involve theologians, physicians, and philosophers in his
fight against cruel witch hunts. Johann Wier: Debating the Devil and
Witches situates and explains his claim as a result of a moral and
religious path as well as the outcome of his medical experience. The
book aims to provide an insightful examination of Wier's works to read
his pleas emphasizing the duty of every good Christian to not abandon
anyone who strays from the flock of Christ. For these reasons, Wier
was overwhelmed by bitter confutations, such as those of Jean Bodin,
but he was also celebrated for his outstanding and prolific heritage
for debating religious tolerance.
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Debating the Devil and Witches in Early Modern Europe
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781040783580
Publisert
2025
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter