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In 1636, residents at the convent of Santa Chiara in Carpi in
northern Italy were struck by an extraordinary illness that
provoked bizarre behavior. Eventually numbering fourteen, the
afflicted nuns were subject to screaming fits, throwing themselves
on the floor, and falling abruptly into a deep sleep. When medical
experts' cures proved ineffective, exorcists ministered to the
women and concluded that they were possessed by demons and the
victims of witchcraft. Catering to women from elite families, the
nunnery suffered much turmoil for three years and, remarkably,
three of the victims died from their ills. A maverick nun and a
former confessor were widely suspected to be responsible, through
witchcraft, for these woes. Based primarily on the exhaustive
investigation by the Inquisition of Modena, The Scourge of Demons
examines this fascinating case in its historical context. The
travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a time when Europe witnessed
peaks in both witch-hunting and in the numbers of people reputedly
possessed by demons. Female religious figures appeared particularly
prone to demonic attacks, and Counter-Reformation Church
authorities were especially interested in imposing stricter
discipline on convents. Watt carefully considers how the nuns of
Santa Chiara understood and experienced alleged possession and
witchcraft, concluding that Santa Chiara's diabolical troubles and
their denouement -- involving the actions of nuns, confessors,
inquisitorial authorities, and exorcists -- were profoundly shaped
by the unique confluence of religious, cultural, judicial, and
intellectual trends that flourished in the 1630s. Jeffrey R. Watt
is professor of history at the University of Mississippi.
Examines the most successful institution of social discipline in
Reformation Europe: the Consistory of Geneva during the time of
John Calvin Created by John Calvin, the Consistory of Geneva was a
quasi-tribunal entrusted with enforcing Reformed morality.
Comprised of pastors and elders, this body met weekly and summoned
people for a wide range of "sinful" behavior, such as drunkenness,
dancing, blasphemy, or simply quarrels, and was a far more
intrusive institution than the Catholic Inquisition. Among the
thousands summoned during Calvin's ministry were a pair of women
who were allegedly prophets, boys who skipped catechism to practice
martial arts, and a good number of people begging for forgiveness
for having renounced Protestantism out of fear of death. This
superbly researched book, reflecting author Jeffrey Watt's
career-long involvement in the ongoing project of transcribing,
editing, and publishing the Consistory records, is the first
comprehensive examination of this morals court and provides a
window into the reception of the Reformation in the so-called
Protestant Rome. Watt examines the role of the Consistory in
upholding patriarchy, showing that while Genevan authorities did
not have a double standard in prosecuting illicit sexuality, the
Consistory exhorted women to obey even violently abusive husbands.
He finds also that Calvin and his colleagues vigorously promoted a
strong work ethic by censuring people, mostly men, for laziness,
and showed a surprising degree of skepticism toward accusations of
witchcraft. Finally, Watt demonstrates convincingly that, while the
Consistory encountered some resistance, Genevans by and large
shared the ideals it promoted and that it enjoyed considerable
success in fostering discipline in Genevan society. This book is
openly available in digital formats thanks to a generous grant from
the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It may be found here and
elsewhere: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/42650.
A fascinating examination of alleged demon possession and
witchcraft in a seventeenth-century convent in Carpi, Italy. In
1636, residents at the convent of Santa Chiara in Carpi in northern
Italy were struck by an extraordinary illness that provoked bizarre
behavior. Eventually numbering fourteen, the afflicted nuns were
subject to screaming fits,throwing themselves on the floor, and
falling abruptly into a deep sleep. When medical experts' cures
proved ineffective, exorcists ministered to the women and concluded
that they were possessed by demons and the victims of witchcraft.
Catering to women from elite families, the nunnery suffered much
turmoil for three years and, remarkably, three of the victims died
from their ills. A maverick nun and a former confessor were widely
suspected to be responsible, through witchcraft, for these woes.
Based primarily on the exhaustive investigation by the Inquisition
of Modena, The Scourge of Demons examines this fascinating case in
its historical context. The travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a
time when Europe witnessed peaks in both witch-hunting and in the
numbers of people reputedly possessed by demons. Female religious
figures appeared particularly prone to demonic attacks, and
Counter-Reformation Church authorities were especially interested
in imposing stricter discipline on convents. Watt carefully
considers how the nuns of Santa Chiara understood and experienced
alleged possession and witchcraft, concluding that Santa Chiara's
diabolical troubles and their denouement -- involving the actions
of nuns, confessors, inquisitorial authorities, and exorcists --
were profoundly shaped by the unique confluence of religious,
cultural, judicial, andintellectual trends that flourished in the
1630s. Jeffrey R. Watt is professor of history at the University of
Mississippi.
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