Witches, ghosts, fairies. Late medieval and early modern Europe was seemingly filled with these and other threatening and disturbing figures. For many contemporary authors, the devil appeared to lurk behind them all. Were his powers real or mere trickery? What limits did God place on them? Could reports from this hidden demonic netherworld be trusted? Physicians, lawyers, and theologians, writing at different times and places, gave very different answers and often disagreed bitterly.
This updated and enlarged second edition examines individual authors from across Europe and its colonies to reveal the many purposes to which the devil could be put – in the late medieval fight against heresy, the age of Reformations, and beyond. It follows the devil's trajectory from his emergence in the 1300s and 1400s as a bodily figure who made pacts with humans, through the comprehensive surveys that coincided with the witch-hunts' most deadly phase, to the end of the seventeenth century, when the science of demons met new challenges in both Old World and New.
This book is essential reading for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the history of the supernatural in medieval and early modern Europe, as well as those exploring the intersections of theology, science, and society during this transformative period.
eBook - ePub
The Science of Demons
Early Modern Authors Facing Witchcraft and the Devil
- 357 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Table of contents
- Cover
- Endorsements
- Half Title
- Series
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Editor's note
- Preface
- List of figures
- Notes on contributors
- Map
- Introduction: The science of demons
- PART I Beginnings
- PART II The first wave of printed witchcraft texts
- PART III The sixteenth-century debate
- PART IV Demonology and theology
- PART V Demonology and law
- PART VI New foundations
- Epilogue: Endings
- Critical editions and English translations of demonological texts
- Index
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Yes, you can access The Science of Demons by Jan Machielsen in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Early Modern History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.