Bekker, Balthasar

Balthasar BekkerBalthasar Bekker (1634–1698). One of the most important and perhaps the most thorough opponent of witch-hunting in the 17th century, Bekker was a Dutch clergyman. In 1690, he published the first volumes of his De Betoverde Weereld (The Enchanted World), which was soon translated into German, English, and French.

A rationalist thinker following the model of the French philosopher René Descartes, in this work, he exhibited a complete skepticism about the very existence of witchcraft, unlike many other opponents of the witch-hunts who chose to criticize only the faulty procedures of witch trials, which they felt were producing numerous false convictions, while still maintaining the potential reality of witchcraft in the world.

Drawing on a new, mechanistic understanding of the universe, Bekker did not deny the reality of Demons, but he did deny that they could exert any influence or power over the natural world or human affairs. Rather than attribute certain occurrences to witchcraft, he maintained, authorities should look for natural explanations for these events, whatever they were.

Because Demons lacked any real power in the world, there was no basis for the supposed pact between witches and the devil. For his beliefs, Bekker was labeled an atheist and ultimately was expelled from the Dutch Reformed church.

SEE ALSO:

SOURCE:

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft – Written by Michael D. Bailey

FREE FOR MEMBERS
Demonology Course
100 Lessons

DEMONOLOGY COURSE

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

FREE FOR MEMBERS
50 Lessons

LENORMAND COURSE

Discover the Secrets of Lenormand: A Comprehensive Course for Beginners and Enthusiasts Unlock the power of the Lenormand cards with…

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
365 Lessons

TRANSFORM IN 365 DAYS

UNLEASH YOUR POWER : MANIFEST YOUR DREAMS INTO REALITY IN 365 DAYS Are you ready to transform your life, one…

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
9 Lessons

NECROMANCY COURSE

Very short, but practical Course with Worksheet

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
45 Lessons

WICCA – EXTENSIVE COURSE

45 Lessons about Wicca

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
22 Lessons

BLACK MAGICK COURSE

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
82 Lessons

TAROT COURSE

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...

Free for Members
23 Lessons

VOODOO COURSE

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

See more...