Johann Wier : debating the devil and witches in early modern Europe / Michaela Valente ; translated by Theresa Federici.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Valente, Michaela, 1972- author.

Contributor:

Oliver-Federici, Theresa, translator.

Series:

Renaissance history, art and culture.

Renaissance history, art and culture

Language:

English

Italian

Subjects (All):

Demonology--Europe--History--16th century.

Demonology.

Medicine--Europe--History--16th century.

Medicine.

Witchcraft--Europe--History--16th century.

Witchcraft.

Weyer, Johann, 1515-1588.

Weyer, Johann.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (263 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, 2022.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. History and historiography

2. Wier’s early years and apprenticeship (1515–1557)

3. Inside the labyrinth of spells

4. Between magic and science

5. Vince te ipsum

6. Demons, sorcerers, and witches

7. Scepticism and toleration

8. Reading and refuting Wier

Conclusion

Bibliography (primary sources)

Bibliography (secondary sources)

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Print version: Valente, Michaela Johann Wier

ISBN:

90-485-4104-2

OCLC:

1302009689