Witches,Devils,Magic in Premod

Catalog description

This course examines the interplay of Arabic and Greek notions of magic and European concepts of witchcraft and the supernatural in late-medieval and early-modern Europe; the intermingling of African, Indigenous, and European notions of witchcraft, the diabolical, and sorcery in Spanish and Portuguese America; and the impacts of Jesuit missionaries in early-modern Asia on traditional religion and philosophy. We consider international missionary networks, emergent state structures, and global colonial empires as important early sites of experimentation, adaptation, and resistance in faith practices. No freshmen permitted. Offered every 6-8 semesters.