Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, (born September 14, 1486, Cologne - died February 18, 1535, Grenoble, father), court secretary of Charles V, doctor of Louise of Savoy, maddening theologian within the Catholic Church, military businessman in Spain and Italy, recognized expert in occultism and philosopher. His stormy career also included teaching at the universities of Dôle and Pavia, being appointed public speaker and advocate in Metz (until filed for defending an accused witch), exile from Germany in 1535 (after fighting with the inquisitor of Cologne), and imprisonment in France (for criticizing the Queen Mother).
Agrippa's De occulta philosophia added impetus to the Renaissance study of magic and inserted his name into the earliest legends of Faust. In this book he explained the world in terms of kabbalistic analyzes of Hebrew letters and Pythagorean numerology and acclaimed magic as the best means of learning about God and nature. Around 1530 Agrippa outraged Charles V by publishing a ferocious attack on occultism and all other sciences ("Of the vanities and uncertainty of the arts and sciences", trans. 1569) and thus served the Renaissance renaissance of skepticism. Agrippa was imprisoned and branded a heretic. Having sunk all kinds of scientific knowledge, he found peaceful refuge in simple biblical piety.
Comments