BALTHASAR

BEKKER (1634–1698)  , Dutch divine, was born in Friesland in 1634, and educated at Groningen, under Jacob Alting, and at Franeker . He was pastor at Franeker, and from1679, at Amsterdam . An enthusiastic disciple of Descartes, he wrote several works in philosophy and theology, which by their freedom of thought aroused considerable hostility . His best known work was Die Betooverde Wereld (1691), or The World Bewitched (1695; one volume of an English translation from a French copy), in which he examined critically the phenomena generally ascribed to spiritual agency, and attacked the belief in sorcery and " possession " by the devil, whose very existence he questioned . The book is interesting as an early study in comparative religion, but its publication in 1692 led to Bekker's deposition from the ministry . He died at Amsterdam .