“Physicians vs. Fundamentalists: The Lull in English Witchcraft Convictions” by Catherine Reardon – an online presentation hosted by CSRS

Physicians vs. Fundamentalists: The Lull in English Witchcraft Convictions
Catherine Reardon

Thursday, October 13
5:00-6:00 p.m. PT
David Turpin Building A110
Join us via Zoom: uvic.ca/csrs/events

Tension between reformed Christians and early Stuart court phy- sicians caused strife in early Stuart England. Reformed Christians argued that “witches” deserved the death penalty. Court physi- cians believed they suffered from ailments and should be treated, not persecuted. King Charles I’s opinions were influenced by his physicians; he changed the laws surrounding trials and thus few people were executed for witchcraft 1630-1640. Why were court physicians’ and “Puritan” beliefs so disparate? What was the end result?

Catherine Reardon is a graduate student in History at UVic and the William Lonsdale Graduate Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society.
https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/csrs/