Balthasar Bekker facts for kids
Balthasar Bekker (born March 20, 1634 – died June 11, 1698) was a Dutch minister and writer. He wrote books about philosophy and religion. He was very important in helping to end the witchcraft trials in Europe. He strongly spoke out against superstition. His most famous book is De Betoverde Weereld (1691), which means The World Bewitched.
His Life Story
Bekker was born in Metslawier, a small town in the Netherlands. His father was a pastor from Germany. Balthasar studied at the universities of Groningen and Franeker.
In 1657, he became a pastor in a town called Oosterlittens. He was one of the first pastors to preach on Sunday afternoons.
In 1679, he moved to Amsterdam. He had to leave Friesland because of his ideas. In 1683, he traveled to England and France. He visited cities like London, Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Leuven. He was very interested in how forts were built.
His Important Books and Ideas
Balthasar Bekker was a big follower of the philosopher Descartes. Bekker wrote many books about philosophy and religion. His ideas were very free-thinking, which caused a lot of disagreement.
In his book De Philosophia Cartesiana, Bekker said that religion and science are separate. He believed that you cannot explain nature using the Bible. And you cannot find religious truth just by studying nature. He thought that the Bible should not always be taken literally. This made some people in the Dutch Reformed Church disagree with him.
His most famous book was De Betoverde Weereld (The World Bewitched), published in 1691. In this book, he looked closely at things people thought were caused by spirits. He argued against the belief in sorcery and being "possessed" by the devil. He even questioned if the devil truly existed.
Bekker said that what people called witchcraft was often just silly but harmless superstition. This book had a huge impact. It was one of the most important books of the early Enlightenment in Europe. It was also one of the most debated books of its time.
The book caused a lot of trouble for Bekker. Many religious leaders thought his ideas were dangerous. He was removed from his job as a minister. Some towns banned his book. But the city of Amsterdam and the States of Holland did not ban it. They even kept paying his salary, even though he was no longer formally a minister.
Today, The World Bewitched is seen as an early study of different religions and beliefs.
Later Years
In July 1698, Balthasar Bekker was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in London. This is a very respected group for scientists. He died in Amsterdam later that year.
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
See also
In Spanish: Balthasar Bekker para niños
