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Spiritual and Medical Melancholy in Lutheran Responses to Johann Weyer's Criticism of the Witch Trials.

  • Published In: Journal of the History of Ideas, 2025, v. 86, n. 1. P. 21 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Morton, Peter A. 3 of 3

Abstract

The article delves into the topic of spiritual and medical melancholy in Lutheran responses to Johann Weyer's critique of witch trials. Lutheran authors, such as Hermann Hamelmann and Hermann Samson, had differing views on Weyer's argument that accused witches were elderly women suffering from melancholy. Friedrich Balduin and Daniel Sennert, senior professors at the University of Wittenberg, also disagreed on Weyer's claims, with Balduin focusing on spiritual melancholy as a turning away from God and neighbor, while Sennert viewed melancholy as a bodily condition caused by the devil. Despite their disagreements, all authors drew upon demonological literature to support their perspectives, showcasing the diversity of opinions within the Lutheran community on the issue of witchcraft accusations. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of the History of Ideas. 2025/01, Vol. 86, Issue 1, p21
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0022-5037
  • DOI:10.1353/jhi.2025.a949926
  • Accession Number:182103847
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of the History of Ideas is the property of University of Pennsylvania Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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