The Influence of the Malleus Maleficarum on the Study of Witches in England
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Date
2024
Authors
Hawes, Robert
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The Malleus Maleficarum is considered one of the most influential pieces of European witchcraft literature, illustrating a powerful viewpoint of witches that defined much of later demonological thought. While the Malleus Maleficarum’s overall influence has been well studied, its influence within England has been a lesser focus. This is interesting given England’s significant difference from most of Europe in how the country’s ideas of witchcraft developed, with many writers taking strong stances against the persecution of witches. This project probes how the Malleus Maleficarum was utilized in the discussions of English witchcraft, mainly characterized along religious lines between Puritan theologians and the Anglican Church. My research shows that there was a divide between mainly Puritan theologians, who argued for the existence of witchcraft and utilized the Malleus Maleficarum in that purpose, and Anglican theologians, who argued against the persecution of witches and the utilization of the Malleus Maleficarum. This division contradicts previous scholarly understanding of the subject established by Keith Thomas in Religion and the Decline of Magic of the divide occurring between Puritan branches and the Anglican branches.
By showing this pattern I will explore the nuances of how English religious intellectuals reacted to the assertations of the Malleus Maleficarum and how their beliefs indicate a more complicated debate over witchcraft than was previously assumed.
Description
83 pages
Keywords
History, Witches, England, Early modern europe, Religious conflict