The scourge of demons: possession, lust, and witchcraft in a seventeenth-century Italian convent
Based primarily on the exhaustive investigation by the Inquisition of Modena, 'The Scourge of Demons' examines this fascinating case in its historical context. The travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a time when Europe witnessed peaks in both witch-hunting and in the numbers of people rep...
| Summary: | Based primarily on the exhaustive investigation by the Inquisition of Modena, 'The Scourge of Demons' examines this fascinating case in its historical context. The travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a time when Europe witnessed peaks in both witch-hunting and in the numbers of people reputedly possessed by demons. Female religious figures appeared particularly prone to demonic attacks, and Counter-Reformation Church authorities were especially interested in imposing stricter discipline on convents. Watt carefully considers how the nuns of Santa Chiara understood and experienced alleged possession and witchcraft, concluding that Santa Chiara's diabolical troubles and their denouement - involving the actions of nuns, confessors, inquisitorial authorities, and exorcists - were profoundly shaped by the unique confluence of religious, cultural, judicial, and intellectual trends that flourished in the 1630s. Jeffrey R. Watt is professor of history at the University of Mississippi. Introduction : nuns, witchcraft, and the inquisition -- Female religious, claustration, and Santa Chiara of Carpi -- The outbreak and maleficia -- The confessor and love magic -- The exorcists and the demons -- Sisters Dealta and Ippolita under attack -- Bellacappa's defense -- The waning of the possessions |
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| Item Description: | Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015) |
| ISBN: | 1580467326 |