Article ID: CBB001200592

Calvin's Geneva Confronts Magic and Witchcraft: The Evidence from the Consistory (2013)

unapi

This essay examines the actions of the Consistory of Geneva, a morals court created and dominated by John Calvin, against reputed cases of magic and superstition. During the ministry of Calvin, the most common of these involved white magic to cure people of various illnesses. The Consistory was not unduly harsh in dealing with therapeutic magic, usually just rebuking the miscreants and temporarily excluding them from communion. It also showed a remarkable degree of skepticism when confronting accusations of maleflcia, at times viewing the allegations as a form of defamation of the person accused of witchcraft. The Consistory, like the Catholic Inquisition, attacked superstition, but it extended superstition to include numerous practices that Catholics accepted. Calvinisms elimination of many rituals and sacramentals greatly restricted access to the supernatural. Evidence from the Consistory suggests that Calvinism promot

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Authors & Contributors
Waters, Thomas
Vanderheyden, Vrajabhūmi
Utz Tremp, Kathrin
Skjærvø, Prods O.
Simon, Sophie
Schulte, Rolf
Concepts
Witchcraft; demonology
Magic
Occult sciences
Trials (law)
Superstition
Science and law
Time Periods
16th century
Renaissance
Medieval
17th century
15th century
Early modern
Places
Europe
England
Holy Roman Empire
Lorraine (France)
Innsbruck (Austria)
United States
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