Skepticism and the Demonic

Michelle D. Brock

Jump to Content

Chapter 17 Skepticism and the Demonic

äºA Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100â1750

èèï¼

Michelle D. Brock

Michelle D. Brock
Search for other papers by Michelle D. Brock in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

ç±»å:: ç« è

Page Range:: 368â390

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004536449_018

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

â¬42.00â¬35.00Â excl. VAT

Add to Cart

æ¾åè®¿é®ä»¤ç

Abstract

Throughout medieval and early modern Europe, both elites and members of the wider public expressed skepticism about demonic presences and activities, especially in relation to cases of witchcraft and possession, and this chapter traces the main themes in this tradition. It suggests that religious concerns, rather than rising interest in medicine or mechanistic philosophy, informed the most influential skeptical arguments, as seen in the writings of Henry More, Joseph Glanvill, and others both in England and on the Continent who collected hundreds of classical and contemporary examples of the occult to combat what they saw as rising âatheism.â It also emphasizes that, while skeptical publications proliferated in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, many individuals from across the social spectrum continued to believe in demonic involvement in daily life. Debates over the demonic, and anxieties over Satanâs earthly machinations, endured well into the modern era.

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share Link

Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004536449/BP000027.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

A Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100â1750

ä¸ç¼ï¼ Brill's Companions to the Christian Tradition, å·ï¼ 111

ISBN:: 9789004536449

åºçç¤¾:: Brill

å°å·åºçæ¥æ:: 12 Aug 2025

Subjects
- History
- Religious Studies
  - History of Religion

Front Matter

Part 1 The Medieval Intellectual Foundation

Part 2 Demons of the Confessional Era

Part 3 Interpreting Demons in Daily Life

Part 4 Demons, Witchcraft, and Science

Part 5 Depicting Demons

Back Matter

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

	å¨é¨æé´	è¿å»ä¸å¹´	è¿å»30å¤©
æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ°	112	112	10
å¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ°	5	5	0
PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ°	16	16	1

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

AppBar-Authors 2025

AppBar-Open Access 2025

AppBar-Product Information 2025

AppBar-Company 2025

AppBar-Contact 2025

Chapter 17 Skepticism and the Demonic

Abstract

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Share Link

A Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100â1750

ç®å½

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

A Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100â1750

ç»è®¡æ°æ®