Nuns, Witchcraft, and the Inquisition
Female Religious, Claustration, and Santa Chiara of Carpi
The Outbreak and Maleficia
The Confessor and Love Magic
The Exorcists and the Demons
Sisters Dealta and Ippolita under Attack
Bellacappa's Defense
The Waning of the Possessions
JEFFREY R. WATT is the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Professor of History at the University of Mississippi.
A solid microhistorical study, persuasively arguing that possession
and witchcraft were 'cultural phenomena'. [.] The book is a welcome
contribution that enhances our knowledge of the less-studied
territory of the seventeenth-century activities of the Modenese
Inquisition.
*CANADIAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY*
Thoroughly examines a compelling case of possession and witchcraft
in a wealthy convent in Carpi in the 1630s. [.] The story unfolds
gradually with a narrative style, and historiographical debates are
smoothly brought into the account.
*HISTORIANS OF WOMEN RELIGIOUS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND*
Absorbing, illuminating and scholarly[...] Watt's gift for
historical narrative is remarkable [...] This book is a major
contribution to historical understanding of post-Tridentine
religious life. It has shifted our perspective and broadened our
understanding of female convent life. This book is an exemplar of
broad and deep research and careful analysis of the sources. It is
a brilliant example of historical narrative. It should be read and
admired by scholars, assigned to students and enjoyed by readers
interested in early modern European religious and gender
studies.
*JOURNAL OF CHURCH HISTORY*
This adept study has succeeded in finally placing the nuns'
experiences in their full context. Watt has provided an expert and
comprehensive study of one important case, presented as a laudably
compelling read.
*JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY*
Whereas the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century records of the
Inquisition of Modena have attracted considerable attention, the
extensive documentation pertaining to the seventeenth century
remains largely unexplored. Watt's analysis of these later records
is therefore a timely addition to the burgeoning field of
Inquisition studies.
*RENAISSANCE QUARTERLY*
Stimulating and sound [.] a welcome addition to the ever-growing
list of studies on the social and religious history of early modern
Europe. Recommended.
*CHOICE*
An impressive and even exemplary job of archival scholarship that
will be of interest to scholars of witchcraft and possession, and
of Inquisitorial processes.
*SIXTEENTH CENTURY JOURNAL*
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