PUBLIC LECTURE: Luther�s Reformation at 500: Luther and the Devil

“If the Devil says to you “Do not drink”, you should reply to him “On this occasion I shall drink and what is more, I shall drink a generous amount.” (Martin Luther). To Martin Luther and most of his contemporaries the devil was a theological and material reality – to be confronted every day and by everybody. This paper will trace Luther’s view of the Devil and the supernatural and place it in the context of the world views of his time.

Jacqueline Van Gent is a Professor of History and Chief Investigator ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, 1100-1800. Her work explores (i) emotions, conversions and missions, (ii) affective strategies of early modern Europeans in the acquisition, exchange and display of colonial objects, and (iii) the role of emotions in early ethnographic texts and collections. Her most recent publication with Professor Susan Broomhall is Dynastic Colonialism: Gender, Materiality and the Early Modern House of Orange-Nassau (Routledge, 2016).

About this Series

On the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, this UWA Institute of Advanced Studies – Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies Lecture Series reconsiders the legacy of Martin Luther, who in 1517 published Ninety-Five Theses criticising the Church’s sale of indulgences. From diverse historical perspectives, UWA researchers tackle key issues regarding Luther’s life, his thought, and his significance for the momentous changes that Europe underwent during his lifetime.

http://www.mems.arts.uwa.edu.au/