Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Blasphemy
(1,128 words)

1. Definition

Since the 13th century, theologians and jurists have defined blasphemy as defamation of God. They have distinguished analytically between several types of blasphemy: ascribing something to God that does not befit him (such as a body), lessening his omnipotence, or ascribing to creatures something proper only to God [12. 21 ff.]. In all cases, however, the central idea was public defamation of the Creator and his saints. Apart from the exc…

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Schwerhoff, Gerd, “Blasphemy”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_020373>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160907



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