Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century England

Keith Thomas
4.17
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One of the most intriguing history books of the past 50 years, Keith Thomas’s Religion and the Decline of Magic describes the relationship between the occult and Christianity in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the period between the collapse of the medieval Church's absolute power and the ascendency of scientific rationalism at the turn of the 18th century, across all levels of British society, the split between faith and belief in the power of magic was not always clear. From the wise women of a village called upon to provide cures, to the personal astrologer of Charles II, magic was integral to most people’s lives. The book is structured thematically – with chapters on everything from the impact of the Reformation to the practice and extent of astrology – to explain why traditional beliefs ultimately declined. This superb history is now published in its first illustrated edition, introduced by Man Booker Prize-winning writer, Hilary Mantel.
Genres: HistoryNonfictionReligionPhilosophyMagicAnthropologyTheologyWitchcraftBritish LiteratureHistorical
992 Pages

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