A Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100–1750

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For medieval and early modern Europeans, the Devil and his demonic minions were seen as increasingly active. They tempted monks, tortured the unwary, and conspired against humanity. They were responsible for waves of heresy, plague, famine, and religious division, and they formed unholy alliances foreshadowing the approaching Apocalypse and End Times.

Bringing together eighteen internationally recognized specialists, A Companion to the Devil and Demons explores the latest research on premodern European beliefs about the Devil and demons. With chapters ranging from scholastic and necromantic perceptions of demons to the place of demons within witch trials, connections between demons and non-human beings, and media that spread ideas about demons, it argues for the centrality and durability of “demon knowledge” in European culture.

Contributors to this volume: Philip C. Almond, Robin B. Barnes, Dean Phillip Bell, Michelle D. Brock, Fabián Alejandro Campagne, David J. Collins, SJ, Ismael del Olmo, Kathryn A. Edwards, Lizanne Henderson, David Johannes Olszynski, Richard Raiswell, Juanita Feros Ruys, James Sharpe, Julien Véronèse, Rita Voltmer, Hans de Waardt, Gary K. Waite, and Charles Zika.
Copyright Year:
2025
E-Book (PDF)
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Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-53644-9
Publication:
18 Aug 2025
Hardback
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Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-38945-8
Publication:
04 Sep 2025
Cover A Companion to the Devil and Demons, c.1100–1750

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Kathryn A. Edwards, Ph.D., is Professor of History at the University of South Carolina and the author or editor of numerous books and articles on late medieval and early modern European society and traditional beliefs, including the forthcoming Living with Ghosts: The Dead in European Society from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment.
Acknowledgements
List of Figures
Abbreviations
Notes on Contributors

1 Introduction
 Kathryn A. Edwards

Part 1: The Medieval Intellectual Foundation


2 The Realms of the Demonic
 Philip C. Almond

3 Demons in Medieval Monasticism
 Juanita Feros Ruys

4 Demons in Medieval Scholasticism
 Kathryn A. Edwards

5 Necromancy and the Demonic
 Julien Véronèse

Part 2: Demons of the Confessional Era


6 The Devil in the Reformations
 Gary K. Waite

7 Demons and Angels
 David Johannes Olszynski

8 Discerning Spirits
 Fabián Alejandro Campagne

9 Possession and Exorcism
 Ismael del Olmo

Part 3: Interpreting Demons in Daily Life


10 Demons in Early Modern Judaism
 Dean Phillip Bell

11 The Demonic and Non-human Beings
 Lizanne Henderson

12 Demons and “Those Who Return”
 Kathryn A. Edwards

13 Prodigies, Providence, and the Devil
 Robin B. Barnes

Part 4: Demons, Witchcraft, and Science


14 Early Modern Demonologies
 David J. Collins, SJ

15 The Demonic and Witchcraft
 Hans de Waardt

16 The Devil in Nature
 Richard Raiswell

17 Skepticism and the Demonic
 Michelle D. Brock

Part 5: Depicting Demons


18 The Devil from the Pulpit
 Rita Voltmer

19 Demons and the Popular Press
 James Sharpe

20 The Devil in Visual Media
 Charles Zika

Bibliography
Index
Advanced undergraduates, graduate students, or specialists beginning the study of demons and premodern European culture in history, literature, philosophy, history of science, and religion/theology. Keywords: folklore, demonology, witchcraft, popular religion, Reformation, skepticism, prodigies, ghosts, fairies, discernment of spirits, angels, necromancy, hell, possession, exorcism, sermons, Apocalypse.
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