Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century EnglandWitchcraft, astrology, divination and every kind of popular magic flourished in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the belief that a blessed amulet could prevent the assaults of the Devil to the use of the same charms to recover stolen goods. At the same time the Protestant Reformation attempted to take the magic out of religion, and scientists were developing new explanations of the universe. Keith Thomas's classic analysis of beliefs held on every level of English society begins with the collapse of the medieval Church and ends with the changing intellectual atmosphere around 1700, when science and rationalism began to challenge the older systems of belief. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 76
Page
... records of both lay and church courts cease around that time to be so informative on the matters with which I am concerned. Few of the topics under consideration are peculiarly English; indeed most of them form part of the general ...
... records of both lay and church courts cease around that time to be so informative on the matters with which I am concerned. Few of the topics under consideration are peculiarly English; indeed most of them form part of the general ...
Page
... records of the time will one day be systematically quantified. My visits to these widely scattered archives have been less frequent and less systematic than I should have liked. In my attempt to sketch the main outlines of the subject I ...
... records of the time will one day be systematically quantified. My visits to these widely scattered archives have been less frequent and less systematic than I should have liked. In my attempt to sketch the main outlines of the subject I ...
Page
... Records. For permission to quote from their unpublished theses I am grateful to Dr J. Addy, Dr M. Bindoff, Dr ... Record Offices of Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Ipswich and East Suffolk ...
... Records. For permission to quote from their unpublished theses I am grateful to Dr J. Addy, Dr M. Bindoff, Dr ... Record Offices of Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Ipswich and East Suffolk ...
Page
... Records Heywood, Diaries H.M.C. Homilies Josten, Ashmole Hereford D.R.* at Hereford R.O. London D.R. at Greater London R.O. Norwich D.R. at Norfolk and Norwich R.O. Peterborough D.R. at Northants R.O. Rochester D.R. at Kent R.O. Wells ...
... Records Heywood, Diaries H.M.C. Homilies Josten, Ashmole Hereford D.R.* at Hereford R.O. London D.R. at Greater London R.O. Norwich D.R. at Norfolk and Norwich R.O. Peterborough D.R. at Northants R.O. Rochester D.R. at Kent R.O. Wells ...
Page
... records of the period have survived. By the end of the seventeenth century there can have been few market-towns without a resident physician. Richard Baxter, the nonconformist divine, who tells us he was very seldom without pain, was ...
... records of the period have survived. By the end of the seventeenth century there can have been few market-towns without a resident physician. Richard Baxter, the nonconformist divine, who tells us he was very seldom without pain, was ...
Contents
Ghosts and Fairies | |
Times and Omens | |
Cunning Men and Popular Magic | |
Magic and Religion | |
its Practice and Extent | |
its Social and Intellectual Role | |
Astrology and Religion | |
THE APPEAL TO THE PAST 13 Ancient Prophecies WITCHCRAFT | |
the Crime and its History | |
Witchcraft and Religion | |
The Decline of Magic | |
Index | |
Providence | |
Prayer and Prophecy 6 Religion and the People | |
Magical Healing | |
The Making of a Witch | |
Witchcraft and its Social Environment | |
Decline | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
2nd edn accused almanac Archaeol Ashm Ashmole astrological Aubrey Autobiography belief Bishop Bodl Book Cambridge Catholic chap charms Christian Church clergy clients confessed conjuration contemporary courts cunning cunning folk cure curse death declared Devil Diary Discourse Discoverie disease divine doctrine early ecclesiastical Elizabeth Elizabethan England English Essex evil Ewen example fairies faith G. G. Coulton Gadbury Gentilisme ghosts God's healing Henry Hist History holy Hugh Latimer intellectual John John Aubrey John Dee John Gadbury John Jewel Josten Journ judicial astrology King Kittredge Lilly Lilly's Lollards London magic medicine medieval misfortune natural Oxford Parish persons Physicians plague popular practice prayer predictions prognostication prophecies prophetic prosecution Protestant Puritan Records Reformation Reginald Scot reign religion religious Richard ritual Robert Royal scepticism Science Scot Sermons sixteenth century Sloane social society sorcery spirits supernatural Superstitions Thomas thought trans Treatise Tudor William William Lilly William Perkins witch-beliefs witchcraft witches wizard woman