
Eradicating the Devil's Minions
Anabaptists and Witches in Reformation Europe, 1535-1600
Gary K. Waite(Author)
University of Toronto Press
Published on 28. July 2007
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-8020-9155-0 (ISBN)
Description
As a religious sect, the Anabaptists were seen to practice unusual rituals and follow an eccentric set of beliefs. One story, for instance, purports that an Anabaptist prophet, claiming to have visited heaven, persuaded his followers to run naked through the streets of Amsterdam. Eradicating the Devil's Minions investigates these beliefs in the context of Reformation Europe, a time in which persecution, religious intolerance, and witch-hunting were rampant. Focusing primarily on the Habsburg-controlled regions of Europe, Gary K. Waite argues that the persecution of Anabaptists did not go hand in hand with the outbreak of witch-hunts in the mid-sixteenth century. Rather, distrust of Anabaptists predated the first major witch panic of 1562-3, and Waite suggests that the virulent propaganda against Anabaptist heretics helped convince governments of the existence of a diabolical threat. Although Anabaptists rejected religious magic, they were consistently demonized by Catholic and Lutheran polemicists. Eradicating the Devil's Minions is an investigation into the roots of religious intolerance in Reformation Europe, and a unique examination of mass hysteria and social extremism.
Reviews / Votes
"'Already a leading authority in the history of heresy, Gary K. Waite offers challenging new ways to integrate the early modern witch hunts in the broader anti-heretical developments of the Reformation era. Eradicating the Devil's Minions sheds valuable light on a wealth of topics, including attitudes to miracles, debates over the sacraments - notably baptism, popular magic, shamanism and religious charisma - and the entire rhetoric of demonization.' Stuart Clark, Professor of History, University of Wales, Swansea"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
720 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8020-9155-0 (9780802091550)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gary K. Waite is a professor in the Department of History at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton.
Content
List of Figures and Maps List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction The Devil's Minions: Anabaptists, Magic, and Witches in the Sixteenth Century Blackened Tongues and Miraculous Hosts: Anabaptists and Miracles in the Polemical Literature Shamans and Soothsayers: The Persecution of Anabaptists and Witches in the Northern Netherlands Rebaptism and the Devil: Anabaptists and Witches in the Southern Netherlands The Devil's Sabbat: Nocturnal Anabaptist Meetings, Hailstorms, and Witchcrafte in Southern Germany Eliminating the Desecrators of Hosts: Anabaptists and Witches in th Austrian Tirol Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index