Trusting a Clergyman - The Parish Priest as a Figure of Authority in Witchcraft Trials in 17th-Century Denmark

Beskrivelse

The parish priest was at the centre of the local communities in early modern Denmark. On behalf of the crown, they were tasked with gatekeeping the moral standards of society, thereby linking the agenda of the state with that of the local communities. In 1617, all lay authorities, including the parish priests, were tasked with the immediate responsibility of eradicating any diabolical threat to society, yet the parish priests were rarely at the centre of the witchcraft trials of the period. Looking into the life trajectories of pastors and their relationship with their parishioners, this paper will explore to what extent the local communities trusted the parish priests as a figure of authority in connection to trials for witchcraft in seventeenth-century Denmark.

Periode	12. apr. 2023
Begivenhedstitel	European Social Science History Conference 2023
Begivenhedstype	Konference
Placering	Gøteborg, SverigeVis på kort
Grad af anerkendelse	International