Impact Of Religion/ Reformation

Question 1

How long before the the start of the Reformation did the European witch hunts begin?

Answer 1

The European witch hunt began almost a century before start of the reformation

Yet there were relatively few witch hunts in the first 30 years of the Reformation
Therefore the Reformation cannot have been a main cause

Question 2

Start date of Reformation?

Date of Papal Bull and Malleus Maleficarum?

Answer 2

Reformation- 1517
Papal Bull- 1484
Malleus Maleficarum- 1486

Question 3

Protestant translation of the Bible that encouraged hunts?

Exodus 22:18

Answer 3

‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’

Question 4

Protestant beliefs that may have contributed to the decline of belief?

Answer 4

Protestant movements advocated the absolute sovereignty of God and denied the belief that that misfortune could be wrought by another supernatural being, such as the Devil.

Question 5

Was the Reformation and Counter-Reformation a main cause of the hunts?

Answer 5

No

‘May have worsened the witch hunts in certain areas, but it was not a central factor in producing them in the first place’- Thurston

‘The Reformation and Counter-reformation served to intensify the process of witch-hunting’ - Levack

Question 6

Evidence for extreme and strict religious attitudes?

Answer 6

In 1584, Charlotte Arbsleste was excommunicated along with her entire family for wearing her hair in curls.

Question 7

After the Reformation good magic was discredited in order to purify religion. Did this have an impact of witch-hunting?

Answer 7

Yes, people felt no longer felt protection against bad magic. This consequently created a need to hunt witches causing maleficium