Religion and the decline of magic
Religion & the Decline of Magic is Keith Thomas's classic history of the magical beliefs held by people on every level of English society in the 16th and 17th centuries and how these beliefs were a part of the religious and scientific assumptions of the time. It is not only a major historical and religious work, but a thoroughly enjoyable book filled with fascinating facts and original insights into an area of human nature that remains controversial today- the belief in the supernatural that still continues in the modern world
History
xviii, 716 pages ; 23 cm
9780684106021, 9780684145426, 0684106027, 0684145421
146184
Prologue : 1. The Environment
Religion :
2. The Magic of the Medieval Church
3. The Impact of the Reformation
4. Providence
5. Prayer and Prophecy
6. Religion and the People
Magic :
7. Magical Healing
8. Cunning Men and Popular Magic
9. Magic and Religion
Astrology :
10. Astrology: its Practice and Extent
11. Astrology: its Social and Intellectual Role
12. Astrology and Religion
The appeal to the past :
13. Ancient Prophecies
Witchcraft :
14. Witchcraft in England: the Crime and its History
15. Witchcraft and Religion
16. The Making of a Witch
17. Witchcraft and its Social Environment
18. Witchcraft: Decline
Allied beliefs :
19. Ghosts and Fairies
20. Times and Omens
Conclusion :
21. Some Interconnections
22. The Decline of Magic