Reassessing Castellio’s Legacy
The Italian Protestant Diaspora and the Debate Over the Punishment of Heretics
Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Conference in English.
How did the Italian Protestant diaspora of the mid-16th century perceive Castellio’s role in the development of the idea of tolerance? In the debates on the punishment of heretics, prompted by Sebastian Castellio after Michael Servetus’ burning at the stake in Geneva (1553), the contribution of Italian thinkers can open up a fascinating perspective that will be developed during the conference: on the one hand, the reception of Castellion’s thought among Italian refugees in Basel and beyond suggests that his influence was greater than generally thought, even if it was mainly exercised outside orthodox circles.
On the other hand, the vigorous criticism of Castellio’s ideas put forward by some orthodox Italian Protestants draws attention to the limits of one-sided accounts of the Swiss debate on the punishment of heretics. The Italian case thus opens up new avenues for a more nuanced picture of Castellio’s historical contribution as a tolerant thinker.
Speaker:
Odile Panetta
Odile Panetta is a lecturer in Early Modern history at Oxford University and a research associate at the University of Aarhus. Her research focuses on Protestant political ideas, particularly in relation to the legitimacy and limits of civil and ecclesiastical punishment. She has written several articles on various aspects of the heresy debate in Switzerland.
Practical information
Free admission, hat at the door.
Aperitif offered after the conference.
Contact
info@mir.ch
022 310 24 31
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