Witch Hunts of the Early Modern Period as the Result of...

Witch Hunts of the Early Modern Period as the Result of Religious and Social Upheaval The Early Modern Period was a time of great change in and around Europe. The people of the age were faced with upheaval of all forms; religious, social, political and even economical. Religious upheaval stemmed from changes in religious views and practises. The Reformation was a hugely significant event that took place in the years spanning 1520-1650. It was a religious, and political, movement in Europe that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in the establishment of Protestantism and Protestant churches. The aim of the reformers was to restore the Church to its early Christian†¦show more content†¦Without doubt, everyone’s religious ideas were being influenced and changed by what was going on around them. Concerning these changes, the Reformation caused a distinct change in the beliefs of the devil amongst the Protestant formers. Roman Catholics believed in the devil but had always believed they could defeat him, and had certain ways of protecting themselves from Satan’s wickedness. In the Catholic faith, it was common to deploy ‘supernatural weapons’ aga inst the devil, such as candles and holy water. The ‘weapons’ were thought to offer protection against evil spirits, and as Darren Oldridge comments in his book; ‘The Devil and the Reformation’, even the ringing of church bells was accepted as protection against flying demons. Catholics believed that their traditional rituals such as these protected them from the evils of the devil and therefore they weren’t as scared of him as they could have been, these ‘magical’ rituals that helped them face him. Consequently, with the Reformation, the reformers’ decision to reject the practises of the Roman Catholic faith resulted in them losing these ‘magical’ rituals that had ‘protected’ people from, and ‘defeated’, the devil for so many years. Protestants believed that a person could not do anything to earn the love of God and therefore lived in devote prayer, and worked extremely hard to tryShow MoreR elatedThe Rise and Rule of Single-Party States7795 Words   |  32 Pagesforce, legal * form of government, ideology (left and right wing) * totalitarianism, treatment of opposition * Rule of Single Party states * political, economic, and social policies * role of education, the arts, the media, and propaganda * status of women, treatment of minorities, and religious groups * Regional and Global impact * foreign policy as a means of maintaining the regime * impact of regime outside the state * as a factor in the Cold War *