Madness, Religion and the State in Early Modern Europe - A Bavarian Beacon (Paperback)

From the ideological crucible of the Reformation emerged an embittered contest for the human soul. In the care of souls, the clergy zealously dispensed spiritual physic; for countless early modern Europeans, the first echelon of mental health care. During its heyday, spiritual physic touched the lives of thousands, from penitents and pilgrims to demoniacs and mad people. Ironically, the phenomenon remains largely unexplored. Why? Through case histories from among the records of over 1,000 troubled and desperate individuals, this regional study of Bavaria investigates spiritual physic as a popular ritual practice during a tumultuous era of religious strife, material crises, moral repression and witch hunting. By the mid-seventeenth century, secular forces ushered in a psychological revolution across Europe. However, spiritual physic ensconced itself by proxy upon emergent bourgeois psychiatry. Today, its remnants raise haunting questions about science and the pursuit of objective knowledge in the ephemeral realm of human consciousness.

General

Imprint:	Cambridge UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	New Studies in European History
Release date:	November 2009
First published:	November 2009
Authors:	David L. Ederer
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	384
ISBN-13:	978-0-521-12363-1
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social welfare & social services > Care of the mentally ill
LSN:	0-521-12363-1
Barcode:	9780521123631

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