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. |
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... History and Fellow of St John's College. He has written extensively on the social and intellectual history of the early modern period. He is the general editor of the Past Masters series (Oxford University Press) and of Oxford Studies ...
... History and Fellow of St John's College. He has written extensively on the social and intellectual history of the early modern period. He is the general editor of the Past Masters series (Oxford University Press) and of Oxford Studies ...
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... history of the Western world. But this survey has been strictly limited to England (with occasional excursions into Wales) and I have resisted the temptation to draw parallels with Scotland, Ireland, and the continent of Europe. An ...
... history of the Western world. But this survey has been strictly limited to England (with occasional excursions into Wales) and I have resisted the temptation to draw parallels with Scotland, Ireland, and the continent of Europe. An ...
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... Historical Study of English Witchcraft' (in Witchcraft Confessions and Accusations, ed. M. Douglas, ASA Monograph 9, Tavistock Press, 1970). Of those who gave me references and pieces of information I am ... History of Acknowledgements.
... Historical Study of English Witchcraft' (in Witchcraft Confessions and Accusations, ed. M. Douglas, ASA Monograph 9, Tavistock Press, 1970). Of those who gave me references and pieces of information I am ... History of Acknowledgements.
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... History of Science, the Guildhall Library, the British Museum and the Public Record Office. I am particularly indebted to Mrs N. K. Gurney of the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, Mrs D. M. Owen of the Cambridge University ...
... History of Science, the Guildhall Library, the British Museum and the Public Record Office. I am particularly indebted to Mrs N. K. Gurney of the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, Mrs D. M. Owen of the Cambridge University ...
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... Historical Review C. L. Ewen, Witch Hunting and Witch Trials. The Indictments for Witchcraft from the records of ... Historical Manuscripts Commission, Reports The Two Books of Homilies appointed to be read in churches, ed. J. Griffiths ...
... Historical Review C. L. Ewen, Witch Hunting and Witch Trials. The Indictments for Witchcraft from the records of ... Historical Manuscripts Commission, Reports The Two Books of Homilies appointed to be read in churches, ed. J. Griffiths ...
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 | |
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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