preacher, university chancellor, and church reformer, Jean Gerson (d. 1429). Gerson provided foundational contributions to two historical developments: the promotion of rational and just government, and the development of the European concept of the witch. This book argues that Gerson's association of royal and ascetic women with sin and diabolical influences allowed him to maintain - against overwhelming evidence to the contrary – the appearance of centralized monarchical rule, a stable ecclesiastical hierarchy, and a reliable method for constructing communally verifiable political and religious truths.

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