Peter Binsfeld (alternate spellingPeter of Binsfeld, lat.Petrus Binsfeldius; c. 1540 – 1598^[1] or 1603)^[2] was a Germanauxiliary bishop andtheologian.

Peter, a son of a farmer and craftsman, was born in the village ofBinsfeld in the ruralEifel region, located in the modern state ofRhineland-Palatinate; he died inTrier as a victim of thebubonic plague. Binsfeld grew up in the predominantlyCatholic environment of theEifel region.

Considered by a local abbot to be a very gifted boy, Peter Binsfeld was sent toRome for study.

After completing his studies, Binsfeld returned to his home region and became a prominent figure in the anti-ProtestantCounter-Reformation of the late 16th century. He was electedauxiliary bishop ofTrier and became a well-known writer on theology, who achieved notoriety as one of the most prominentwitch hunters of his time. Binsfeld was one of the main drivers of theTrier witch trials that ravaged the area under the dominion ofArchbishop Johann von Schönenberg between 1581-93. Binsfeld wrote the influential treatiseDe confessionibus maleficorum et sagarum ('Of the Confessions of Warlocks and Witches'),^[3] translated into several languages (Trier, 1589). This work discussed the confessions of alleged witches and claimed that even if such confessions were produced bytorture, they should still be believed. He also encouraged denouncements.

He thought that girls under age twelve and boys under age fourteen could not be considered guilty of practisingwitchcraft, but due to the precocity of some children the law should not be completely strict. This point of view can be considered as moderate, taking into account that some tribunals had condemned children between two and five years of age to be burnt at the stake.

Contrary to other authors of the time, Binsfeld doubted the ability ofshapeshifting and the validity of thewitch's mark.

In 1589, Binsfield published an influential list of demons and their associated sins, including the demons associated with theseven deadly sins:Lucifer (pride),Mammon (greed),Asmodeus (lust),Leviathan (envy),Beelzebub (gluttony),Satan (wrath) andBelphegor (sloth).^[4][5]

• Classification of demons

• 1540s births
• 1598 deaths
• 1603 deaths
• 16th-century German Catholic theologians
• Roman Catholic bishops of Trier
• People from Bernkastel-Wittlich
• 16th-century deaths from plague (disease)
• 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Holy Roman Empire
• Witch hunters
• Demonologists
• German male non-fiction writers
• Academic staff of the University of Trier
• 16th-century German male writers
• Witch trials in Germany

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Year of birth uncertain
• Year of death uncertain