![]() 2 With regards to Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), the reference is unclear: we are certain that the poet was not aware of the 1661 Short Treatise, an unpublished manuscript in which an entire chapter questions the existence of the devil ( Spinoza 2002, pp. It is only in his influential Leviathan that Hobbes writes several chapters arguing at length against the early modern biblical and philosophical interpretation of the devil-we will develop these points later in the article. Although Elements of Law (1640) already offers a discussion about “angels good and evil”, Hobbes devotes this brief account mainly to his rejection of the scholastic notion of incorporeal substances ( Hobbes 1928, pp. Most likely, the poet is thinking about Leviathan (1651), Thomas Hobbes’ (1588–1679) masterpiece. It has been said that his views on the demonic even had an impact on popular culture hence, Bekker could be credited for extending his proto-Enlightenment teachings outside the scholarly world ( Wielema 2004, pp. His ideas were discussed in contemporary circles in a full-scale debate, and rejected by religious institutions-Bekker, accused of scandal and heresy, was denied communion and suspended from his ministry. Undoubtedly, Bekker helped to accelerate a trend already present in early modern intellectual circles: the degradation of scholastic demonology as sheer superstition ( Cameron 2010, pp. Bekker’s book thus re-interpreted the key biblical passages involving demons and their operations under a dissident exegetical light, suggesting metaphors, figures of speech, Hebrew and Greek etymologies, and natural explanations to account for purported demonic entities and activities ( Vermeir 2013 Van Bunge 2000 Van Ruler 20 Israel 19 Attfield 1985). The Scripture is adamant in its claim that Satan was defeated and chained in Hell, and has no power over worldly events. Bekker supported his claims through Revelation. In order to deactivate the power of the devil in the material realm, De Betoverde Weereld accepts the Cartesian separation of mind and body and the concomitant principle of the impossibility of the interaction between thought and extension (pineal glanded humans excepted). Arguing from a hyper-providentialist stance-belief in God’s absolute power was threatened by the supposed power of the devil, and even by angelic mediators-the book includes attacks on demonic possession, sorcery, witchcraft, counter-magic, and traditional beliefs about spirits it also offers a comparative approach towards world demonologies. A controversial tour de force around the subject of demonology, the book may well be the most comprehensive critique of the idea of the devil ever written. It is a well-known fact that the Reformed minister Balthasar Bekker (1634–1698) committed an intellectual arson with his De Betoverde Weereld ( The World Bewitched), published in four volumes between 16, and soon translated into French, English, and German. Thus, the devil, once a part of the sacred truth, could now be seen as a fragment of a human cultural heritage. This paper will end by claiming that Koerbagh’s interpretation of Christian demonology both as a remnant of Pagan and Jewish superstitions, and a knowledge indifferent to salvation-themselves Hobbesian principles-went hand in hand with his attempt to secularize the biblical text. But we will also see that Koerbagh’s Cartesian definition of spirits led him to a more radical stance than that of Hobbes: demons do not exist at all. ![]() We will focus on the Hobbesian exegetical strategies of etymology, naturalization, and metaphorization, which helped Koerbagh to point at diseases, evil thoughts, figures of speech, or human enemies as plausible explanations for scriptural passages concerning devils and possession. ![]() This paper will also address Thomas Hobbes’ positions regarding demons and demonic possession in Leviathan (1651), given that Hobbes’ interpretations were fundamental to Koerbagh’s own positions. Koerbagh’s book is a radical exponent of the early Dutch Enlightenment, and its views on demonology are of importance if we want to assess the extent to which traditional scholastic pneumatology was challenged in the second half of the XVIIth century. This paper traces Adriaan Koerbagh’s interpretation of biblical devils and scriptural instances of demonic possession in his 1668 Een Ligt Schijnende in Duystere Plaatsen ( A light shining in dark places).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |