Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History)

Reading this book is like trying to take a sip from a fire hose. The author makes his points by citing example after example, and in the process establishes in the mind of the reader the certain fact that the world prior to the 17th century - and maybe the 20th century - was completely different from the world that we who live in the First World during the 20th century are blessed to inhabit.That world was, first of all, a world of uncertainty. Diseases were mysterious, plagues were common, pain was endemic and when things got lost there was no newspaper to place "Lost and Found" ads in. People needed and wanted a solution to these problems and the solution was found in magic, which during the later Middle Ages was supported by an alternative to mechanistic philosophy in the form of NeoPlatonism.Magic in this world was unexceptional. Every town had its cunning man or woman who could provide charms against illness or help find a lost item or know what weather would come in the future or provide a love potion or any of the other sundry problems we either accept or have found a mechanistic solution for. Astrology was a kind of rival to magic, but astrologers were consulted on all matters of issues, and it was the rare figure of power who did not have his own consulting astrologer. An astrologer named Lilly was a force of propaganda for the Parliamentary side of the English Civil War..//"All this can be learned from Lilly's Autobiography. But his unpublished case books and papers throw an even more intimate light upon the connection between astrology and the Independents, Army radicals and sectaries. The nature of these dealings amply disproves any notion that the politicians simply used Lilly as a convenient means of propaganda without believing in the truth of astrology itself. We have already seen how Lilly was consulted by Richard Overton at a crucial stage of his career as a Leveller leader"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EMagic and astrology were the technology of the age, and competitors for technology.//"The attraction of having one's horoscope cast was not unlike that of undergoing psychoanalysis today. The reward would be a penetrating analysis of the individual's innermost attributes, the qualities which he should develop, and the limitations against which he should be on his guard. Of course the astrologers insisted that the figure cast at a person's nativity could never be more than a guide to the possibilities open to him; it did not mean that he was in the clutch of an ineluctable destiny"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EReligion - Catholicism - frowned on these magical technologies and provided either formal alternatives to them - in the sacraments, blessings, holy water and other sacramentals, or folk religion was incorporated into the systems of magic.Reading the first part of the book and coming to understand how "magic-haunted" society was raises the obvious question of why witchcraft was so well-tolerated, and why the reaction against witch-craft developed when it did.Thomas offers a number of cogent explanations. The first was that the Reformation eliminated the "counter-magic" that Catholicism provided and left people feeling vulnerable to malicious magic. In addition, the Reformation heightened a concern about the power of the Devil in this world://"The Reformation did nothing to weaken this concept; indeed it almost certainly strengthened it. Protestantism was a response to a deep conviction of human sin, a sense of powerlessness in the face of evil. Luther often spoke as if the whole world of visible reality and the flesh belonged to the Devil, the Lord of this world. 3 In the long run it may be that the Protestant emphasis on the single sovereignty of God, as against the Catholic concept of a graded hierarchy of spiritual powers, helped to dissolve the world of spirits by referring all supernatural acts to a single source. But if so it was a slow development"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EThe second was that during the later Middle-Ages, the concept drifted in from Europe that witchcraft was related to the worship of Satan. Witches were not persecuted for being witches - there were good witches everywhere - but for being malevolent and malicious.Interestingly, Thomas points out that a reputation for witchcraft was a kind of protector of the poor and outcast. Witches came from the poorer classes and bad witchcraft was felt to spring from mistreatment. The poorer classes and beggars were felt to feel mistreatment when their social betters were not generous. The tension between generosity and prudence might have left people in a sense of anxiety over witchcraft, and, also, stimulated generosity.//"Refusal of alms was the most characteristic way in which the witch's supposed victims had failed in their obligations towards her; many of the accused persons, as Scot pointed out, were women in the habit of going ‘from house to house, and from door to door for a pot full of milk, yeast, drink, pottage, or some such relief, without which they could hardly live’. 94 But there were other possible sources of conflict. Witch cases could arise after disputes over gleaning, common land, rights of way, or trespass . 95 Witches were accused of retaliation against such local tyrants as the village constable who pressed their sons to be soldiers, or the overseer of the poor who put their children into compulsory service"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EAnd://"It was no accident that Ruth Osborne, who was lynched for witchcraft by a Hertfordshire mob in 1751, had been previously refused buttermilk by the farmer whose subsequent mysterious illness provoked the accusation against her. The majority of other informal witch accusations recorded in the eighteenth, nineteenth and even twentieth centuries conform to the same old special pattern of charity evaded, followed by misfortune incurred"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EAlso, we might look at the persecutors of witches as being crazy or ignorant, but, in fact, people believed in magic and some people attempted to make malevolent magic happen://"The practice of maleficent magic was therefore no mere figment of contemporary imagination. The physical survival of cursing tablets and magical formulae testifies, if proof were needed, to the undoubted existence of techniques by which men tried to do occult harm to their enemies. It is also beyond doubt that a large, though unmeasurable, proportion of those formally accused of witchcraft during the period had manifested some kind of malevolence towards their neighbours, although they had not necessarily practised any actual magic. Often, as we shall see, there would be a grumble, a muttered curse, or a thinly veiled threat to provide evidence for their malignity"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EThomas' gives credit for the decline of belief in magic to religion. The belief in magic declined before the mechanistic revolution of the Enlightenment produced its great boons to humanity. Religion provided a belief in a single, all-encompassing providence that worked with regularity and ordinary predictability:"This brings us to the essential problem. Why was it that magic did not keep pace with changing social circumstances? Why did its sphere become more limited, even as the English economy was expanding into new domains? For the paradox is that in England magic lost its appeal before the appropriate technical solutions had been devised to take its place. It was the abandonment of magic which made possible the upsurge of technology, not the other way round . Indeed, as Max Weber stressed , magic was potentially ‘one of the most serious obstructions to the rationalisation of economic life"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9E"The technological primacy of Western civilization, it can be argued, owes a sizeable debt to the fact that in Europe recourse to magic was to prove less ineradicable than in other parts of the world. 61 For this, intellectual and religious factors have been held primarily responsible. The rationalist tradition of classical antiquity blended with the Christian doctrine of a single all-directing Providence to produce what Weber called ‘the disenchantment of the world’ – the conception of an orderly and rational universe, in which effect follows cause in predictable manner. A religious belief in order was a necessary prior assumption upon which the subsequent work of the natural scientists was to be founded. It was a favourable mental environment which made possible the triumph of technology"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EThis had the effect of creating a space for the rise of science and, later, technology.Thomas also provides insights into many areas that I found interesting. Here are two:The first had to do with the ghost in Hamlet. Catholicism, apparently, did not have a conceptual problem with the idea of ghosts as being those in purgatory with some obligation on Earth to work out. Protestantism strongly opposed the notion and possibility of ghosts, chalking up ghostly apparitions to demons.I had previously heard that the Ghost in Hamlet reflected an English discomfort with the forgotten dead in Purgatory, but Thomas points out that the Ghost in Hamlet easily fits into the demonic apparition motif://"The same dilemma is brilliantly shown by Dr Dover Wilson to have been posed by the ghost of Hamlet's father. Much of the drama of the play's first act hinges on the uncertainty of the ghost's status. Marcellus regards it as a demon. Horatio begins as an out-and-out sceptic. Even Hamlet himself is uncertain. 11 Despite the truth of the tale the ghost had to tell, every firm Protestant in the audience would have been justified in regarding the apparition as a devil in human form; and, in view of the ultimately catastrophic results of his appearance, we might add that this could have been Shakespeare's own view"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9ESecond, not surprisingly, it seems that numbers of witches burned - hundreds of thousands, by some accounts - has been overstated://"The most acute period was 1645– 7, when the campaign led by Matthew Hopkins and his associates resulted in the execution of several hundred witches in Essex , Suffolk, Norfolk and neighbouring counties. There were other notable trials, in Essex in 1582 (involving fourteen persons), and in Lancashire in 1612 (twenty-one persons) and 1633 (twenty). Such causes célèbres attracted great attention at the time, for contemporaries, like some modern historians, were dependent for their knowledge of the subject upon the chance appearance of a pamphlet account of a notable trial, and unacquainted with the routine prosecution disclosed by the assize records"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9E//"There were five other assize circuits in the country as well as a large number of independent jurisdictions, so these figures must be multiplied considerably if total figures for the whole country are to be inferred. C. L'Estrange Ewen, to whose pioneering investigations all students are permanently indebted, guessed the total number of executions for witchcraft throughout the period to be something under 1,000. 44 It is difficult to suggest an alternative figure"Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) by Thomas, Keithhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RI9L9EA high number - the number of Catholic martyrs was around 264 during the same approximate time period - but not the kind of numbers one would expect if millions or hundreds of thousands were killed in Europe.This book was written in 1974, but it is excellently well-sourced and footnoted and very well organized. On the Kindle, the text portion takes up 44% of the book, with the balance being footnotes.

"Your belly will bloat up like a party balloon, sitting there in your reclining chair all day long every Sunday, watching football, dipping fondue, and guzzling draft beer." Making such an astute observation and having the audacity to tell someone living in the sixteenth century Magic Kingdom--no, not Disneyland, but the mighty, chivalrous nation of England, you could have been accused of witchcraft by anyone who presented himself with an enlarged stomach, be bound and turned over to ecclesiastical authorities, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law As you may have heard, or learned in school, the penalty for witchcraft was death by incineration, way back then. Most regrettably, witchcraft was a heinous crime against the Church, punishable by a tribunal of its prominent leaders. In case you weren't aware there were three main, recognized church groups in 16th century England: Catholics, Puritans, and Anglicans. They each offered a different perspective to the faithful and blessed. According to Keith Thomas in his hefty, historical non-fictional book, Religion and the Decline of Magic Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth- Century England, the Church was in the process of undergoing a drastic, cataclysmic upheaval. It may be inferred that this was because the people were changing, society was changing, the government was changing, and the times were changing. In a nutshell, the ideas of rational-thinking intellectuals were beginning to catch on and take hold, based on scientific methods and concrete proof. The author then goes into great, painstakingly elaborate detail, describing the people, their thoughts, their beliefs, society, day-to-day activities, government, the laws, the environment in which they lived, and--most importantly, considering the subject matter and theme of the book, the power and influence exerted over them by the Church, during five crucial time periods: medieval times, the Reformation, Civil War, Interregnum, and the Industrial Age. In my humble opinion, Keith Thomas reveals the terrible truth that the various religions of England appeared to be in an almost olympic-like competition for winning God's favor, being held in highest esteem by the Grace of God, and perpetuating good health, prosperity, and happiness exclusively for church members. In essence, each church strived to become the sole, direct intermediary between God and men. A result of this endeavor and the authority gained thereby was to put them at odds with the other rival churches. Yes, certainly, it caused them to excommunicate, ostracize, ban, and burn all persons who were not of their faith. This is probably why, in later years, the Pilgrims sailed for America on the Mayflower and many others caught the first available sailing vessel bound for Australia. Probably about this time, it transpired that some "planetary travelers" began thinking about eternity in earnest. Of course, the individuals most likely to be burned were non-members who believed more in the power of natural magic, than that of the established Church, in all of its majesty, pageantry, ceremony, and rich history. Mostly, these castaway people were probably poor, destitute, mentally or physically ill, beggars, thieves, or laborers, and were considered a burden on society. In effect, all they had going for them was their indomitable spirit, the will to fight the battle of man versus nature, a few meager lucky charms in their pockets, some knowledge of medicinal herbs, and the light of the moon and stars to help guide them on their way. You might even go so far as to say that they had become victims of religious persecution by the Church. Eventually, the English government itself got involved, enacted and enforced strict statutes against the practice of witchcraft in cases where "maleficium," coupled with evil or harmful intent were found. Essentially, what this means is that a person caused physical injury to another person, or damaged his property or goods. Throughout history, such an action constitutes a criminal act, and the guilty party is subject to punishment as decreed in a court of law. Some cases were easier to prove than others, however. For example, it is much more straight-forward to prove that someone repeatedly stabbed a victim in the chest with the sharp point of a sword and consequently he died from his wounds than it is to prove someone merely looked at him, giving him the "evil eye", and he dropped dead in his tracks while everyone present watched on, horrified. In any event, the book is definitely worth reading. It might even challenge your beliefs and restore your faith in the divine Providence, if not your trust in humanity. Henceforward-- and I realize I skipped and glossed over a tremendous amount of encyclopedia-source and biographical information which is included in the book, magic was simply not taken seriously anymore---except possibly in the more recent or present time by the likes of Walt Disney and an army of animators. Strangely enough, I sometimes wonder whatever became of Jeanne Dixon?

Stupendous, lofty read, not a jot boring, quite the opposite, it's lively, full of anecdote, just the way a scholarly piece of work needs to be. It's not only informative but is filled with example of various events such as the local yokel on being questioned by an officer of the church in the fifteenth century sometime in some rural outpost of England, if he knew who were The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost, leaned on his stick, thought for a moment and replied that well, he knew who the father and the son were, they lived in the manor and he looked after their sheep for them, but who this other fellow was, he didn't know, there was no-one in the village by that name.It's a brilliant read, full of that sort of thing.

Religion and the Decline of Magic is a wonderful book. Full of history and information, written in beautiful prose by Keith Thomas. I have had the book for quite sometime and, having read it, still find myself dipping into it for information. It is, in short, a remarkable achievement and highly recommended.I hope you find my review helpful.

Historian Keith Thomas’ debut monograph has succeeded in standing the test of dozens of critical reviews over the course of the four decades since its original 1971 publication. Spanning almost 900 pages, Thomas eloquently and effectively explains the history and interconnections of the fields of religion and magic during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, at a level that draws in many non-academic followers. Simultaneously, however, Thomas also provides an in depth analysis of the conflicts that arise between religion and magic as both areas evolve through the period, which proves useful at a more academic level. Keith Thomas’ use of epigraphs, statistics and other sources provide a fascinating and well-rounded account of the history of magic and religion. Whilst there are criticisms to be made of Thomas’ sweeping history of the period and seeming lack of tight in-depth analysis, it is clear that the text firmly achieved Thomas’ intention of exploring the topic in a way that will attract attention and further research by colleagues of the field.The book is perfect for academics and non-experts simultaneously as it offers reference points for further research, while clearly explaining his points in context for those who weren't already 'in the know'. An easy read due to its rigid compartmentalisation. Just buy it.

"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy Horace..." Not walking under ladders or whistling in theatres or mentioning Macbeth or spilling salt or burning witches seems to indicate a need in homo sapiens to believe in something outside their own sensory experience. The apparent need to believe in spooks and sprites and unseen hands reaching across the great divide to shape and influence. Total rubbish of course but apparently necessary rubbish for a lot of people. Doh!

This was written in the 1970s by a man who persistently claims that to not believe in Christianity is ridiculous. Not a respectful book about magical beliefs before Christianity, in particular the Reformation, but a condescending theological opinion of a wannabe preacher.