The Malleus Daemonum provides an exciting introduction into the religious world of early modern Italy. It consists of a series of personal exorcisms which the Italian Observant Franciscan Alessandro Albertino composed and which he claims have proven themselves by experience. It bears witness to the end of a period in which priests could freely compose their own exorcisms as a regular part of their pastoral functions.
Albertino’s exorcisms faithfully follow the Passion narrative in the four Gospels designed both to parallel and to empower the Vulgate text. His strategy is to employ the words and instruments used against Christ by his detractors against the demons occupying the possessed individual in order to expel them. Those words and weapons which were once used to torment, harass, and crucify Christ thus become spiritual weapons which the exorcist may use to treat their patient. Albertino introduces each exorcism with an epigram based on Classical mythology followed by litanies, invocations, and prayers, and he also includes a general exorcism to expel demons from specific parts of the body, along with general blessings and prayers to drive out all sorcery and diabolical intervention from particular articles of clothing.
This edition comprises a comprehensive historical and theological introduction, a Latin edition, and the first-ever English translation of The Hammer of Demons. The translation, research, and commentary unveil a long-buried gem of the seventeenth century, offering readers an alluring narrative about the evolving face of the ancient convention of exorcism. More than just a book, this introduction, edition, and translation are an essential contribution to the understanding of the intersection of exorcism, history, and religion in early modern Italy.
About the Contributors
W. Thomas Branton holds degrees in Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and Theological Studies from Notre Dame Graduate Seminary, and currently studies Philosophy and Theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary. Branton has served as an interfaith chaplain in Louisiana, as well as taught theology and religious studies, biblical studies, philosophy, and mythology. His teaching draws on a unique interdisciplinary approach that integrates textual analysis, the arts, philosophy, and theological inquiry to inspire critical thinking and reflection. He currently works as a curriculum developer, channeling his passion for education into creating innovative, research-based learning materials that reflect his diverse academic background and commitment to lifelong learning.
Andrew Traver is a professor of History at Southeastern Louisiana University. He completed his graduate studies at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies and the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto. His previous publications include The Opuscula of William of Saint-Amour (Aschendorff, 2003) and From Polis to Empire: An Interdisciplinary Biographical Dictionary (Greenwood, 2001), and he has served as a co-editor on multiple volumes of the critical editions of the writings of Franciscan philosopher/theologian John Duns Scotus. He has also published multiple articles on topics extending from the ancient world to early modern Europe. His research focuses on the creation of Christian mendicant orders and their integration into medieval institutions. In particular, he concentrates on the resistance the mendicants faced to their ministry by their secular counterparts at the University of Paris, particularly by the theologians William of Saint-Amour, Gerard of Abbeville, and Nicholas of Lisieux.