Balthasar Bekker

Balthasar Bekker (20 March 1634 – 11 June 1698) was a Dutch minister and author of philosophical and theological works. Opposing superstition, he was a key figure in the end of the witchcraft persecutions in early modern Europe. His best known work is De Betoverde Weereld (1691), or The World Bewitched (1695).

Balthasar Bekker by J. Hilarides (1691)

Life

Bekker was born in Metslawier (Dongeradeel) as the son of a German pastor from Bielefeld. He was educated at Groningen, under Jacob Alting, and at Franeker. Becoming the rector of the local Latin school, he was appointed to his satisfaction in 1657 as a pastor in Oosterlittens (Littenseradiel), and started as one of the first to preach on Sunday afternoon.

From 1679 he worked in Amsterdam, after being driven from Friesland. In 1683 he travelled to England and France. In two months time Bekker visited London, Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Leuven, with a great interest in the art of fortification.[1]

Works

An enthusiastic disciple of Descartes, he wrote several works on philosophy and theology, which by their freedom of thought aroused considerable hostility.[2] In his book De Philosophia Cartesiana Bekker argued that theology and philosophy each had their separate terrain and that Nature can no more be explained through Scripture than can theological truth be deduced from Nature.[3]

Cover of De betoverde weereld

His best known work was De Betoverde Weereld (1691), or The World Bewitched (1695), in which he examined critically the phenomena generally ascribed to spiritual agency. He attacked the belief in sorcery and "possession" by the devil. Indeed, he questioned the devil's very existence.[2] He applied the doctrine of accommodation to account for the biblical passages traditionally cited on the issue.[4] The book had a sensational effect and was one of the key works of the Early Enlightenment in Europe. It was almost certainly the most controversial.[5] Bekker became a heroic figure defying an army of obscurantists.[6]

The publication of the book led to Bekker's deposition from the ministry. The orthodox among Dutch theologians saw his views as placing him among notorious atheists: Thomas Hobbes, Adriaan Koerbagh, Lodewijk Meyer and Baruch Spinoza. Eric Walten came to his defence, attacking his opponents in extreme terms.[7] Bekker was tried for blasphemy, maligning the public Church, and spreading atheistic ideas about Scripture. Some towns banned the book, but Amsterdam and the States of Holland never did, continuing his salary, without formally stripping him of his post.[8]

The World Bewitched is now considered interesting as an early study in comparative religion.[2][9]

Later life

In July 1698 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.[10] He died in Amsterdam[2]

Selected publications
  • De philosophia Cartesiana admonitio candida & sincera. Bekker, Balth. / Vesaliae / 1668
  • The world bewitch'd; or, An examination of the common opinions concerning spirits: their nature, power, administration, and operations. As also, the effects men are able to produce by their communication. Divided into IV parts; Bekker, Balthasar / Translated from a French copy, approved of and subscribed by the author's own hand / printed for R. Baldwin in Warwick-lane / 1695

Notes
  1. Bekker, Balthasar (1998) Beschrijving van de reis door de Verenigde Nederlanden, Engeland en Frankrijk in het jaar 1683. Fryske Akademy.
  2. Chisholm 1911, p. 661.
  3. Israel 1995, p. 895.
  4. Wiep van Bunge et al. (editors), The Dictionary of Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Dutch Philosophers (2003), Thoemmes Press (two volumes), article Bekker, Balthasar, p. 74–7.
  5. Israel 1995, p. 925.
  6. Israel 1995, p. 928.
  7. Wiep van Bunge et al. (editors), The Dictionary of Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Dutch Philosophers (2003), Thoemmes Press (two volumes), article Walten, Eric, p. 1065–8.
  8. Israel 1995, p. 930.
  9. Nooijen, Annemarie (2009) "Unserm grossen Bekker ein Denkmal?" Balthasar Bekkers 'Betoverde Weereld' in den deutschen Landen zwischen Orthodoxie und Aufklärung
  10. "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
gollark: I mean, yes, there was at one point a "turned on" notification.
gollark: I was expecting people to be saner, but that failed.
gollark: Again, the open relay thing did *not* work out, but it was only indirectly me.
gollark: There was kind of one before.
gollark: I mean, the open relay period was a complete mistake, but I would hardly call my personal use spammier than usual.

References
  • Israel, Jonathan I. (1995), The Dutch Republic. Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477–1806

Attribution

Further reading
  • Evenhuis, R. B. (1971), Ook dat was Amsterdam, deel III. De kerk der hervorming in de tweede helft van de zeventiende eeuw: nabloei en inzinking (in Dutch), pp. 258–305
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