Customer Reviews

Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in popular beliefs in sixteenth and seventeenth century England

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Originally published in 1971, Keith Thomas's landmark book has lost none of its impact over the last 30 years. This book almost singlehadedly founded an entirely new school of historiography in the fields of astrology, magic, religion, and witchcraft. Before 1970, these subjects were largely the domain of storytellers and "new age" authors, who, making little claim to objectivity, would embellish their "histories" with fanciful and/or romantic myths. With this book, Keith Thomas rescued astrology and witchcraft from their terrible predicaments and elevated them into serious issues capable of being studied as history. It is no exaggeration to say that almost every major text published in this field after 1971 was profoundly influenced by Thomas's work. If you are planning to seriously investigate the topics of religion and magic, then this book is indispensable. Even if your investigative scope does not include England, this book is still required background reading.

The first chapter (The Environment) alone is worth the price of admission. In this astonishing piece, Thomas highlights the miserable condition of early modern life. After setting this background, Thomas goes on to discuss the "magic" of the Medieval Church, the various belief systems surrounding it, and the impact that the Reformation had upon the long standing "rituals" of the Catholic church. Becuase the Calvinists placed little trust in the Catholic rituals, many people "felt disarmed in the face of the devil." As a result, much of England and Europe began to fear the impact of astrology and witchcraft on everyday life. But as the quality of early-modern life was so bleak, many English men and women resorted to magical healing and astrology in order to seek refuge from their plight. So, on one hand, many feared astrology and magic, but those same people often sought solace in it as well.

After discussing in detail the significance and practice of astrology in early-modern England, Thomas then goes on to outline the history of the crime of witchcraft. The discussion of witchcraft is probably the highlight of the book. Never had any previous historian (and few since) so clearly outlined the form and function of witchcraft in English society. After a brief chapter on Ghosts and Fairies, Thomas finishes up by drawing connections between the various issues he discusses.

The book includes a comprehensive index as well as excellent bibliographical essays at the beginning of each chapter should anyone want to pursue any topic further. Simply put, this book is a masterpiece that has received few (if any) notable detractors. This book is required reading for anyone interested in this field, and highly recommended to everyone else.

I first read this book as a history graduate student many years ago, and it still remains one of my favorite books of all time. Thomas set himself a daunting task--ascertaining the effect the change in religion from Catholicism with its beliefs in miracles, saints, transubstantiation to Protestantism with its adversion to miraculous beliefs had on the popular imagination.

Thomas tapped little used sources, the Church court records which included trials for witchcraft or magic to see if he could trace a decline in belief in magic. Thomas concluded that magical belief did decline from the 15th-17th centuries. In my opinion, he proved his case.

Anyone who has done historical research will stand in awe of Thomas' command of sources and his ability to synthesize. Anyone who is more than a little fed up with ahistorical screeds on witchcraft prosecutions a la Margaret Murray, will applaud Thomas's reasoned and credible explaination of the reasons behind witchcraft prosecutions. Basically, witchcraft prosecution in 16th century England filled the same function as it does in contemporary Africa--an attempt to control the uncontrollable.

RELIGION AND THE DECLINE OF MAGIC is one of the greatest works of history that I have ever read. It is one of those books that is both highly entertaining and massively informative. It is also infuriating, because it is a book that is so full of detail, that it doesn't seem as if one person could have produced it. It makes me feel as if I have been wasting my life.
Thomas's subject is--as the title proclaims--the prevalence of and subsequent decline in magical beliefs in the Great Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries. He surveys magic in a myriad of forms: magical elements within religious practice, village wizards and cunning men, astrology, prophecies, and--in the most famous and frequently referred to section--witches. My favorite sections were those dealing with astrology and witchcraft, as well as the beginning chapter dealing with "nasty, brutish, and short" quality of life at the time in England. The book is filled to the brim with fascinating bits of information, such as the fact that most of the caloric intake of men, women, and even children at the time came from beer, and that at sea an allotment of a gallon of beer a day was made! The inescapable conclusion was that Britain was a nation of alcoholics.

I find it difficult to overpraise this book. Since reading it during the summer, I have found dozens of references to it in various works, and always with the highest praise attached. One of the blurbs on the back of the beautiful new paperback edition recently put out by Oxford University Press claims that it is one of the two or three greatest works of history in the past thirty years, and I have no reason to doubt it. As testament to how highly I esteem this book, I plan on buying a new copy, since the old Scribner's paperback I read barely managed to hold together til the end.

Keith Thomas's other book, MAN AND THE NATURAL WORLD, is also a work of the highest order. My one complaint with Thomas is that he has not written enough books. My hope is that he is working on another.

Note:

Since writing that review Keith Thomas has come out with another work that I just found out about and just ordered. Due to a very heavy reading/writing schedule I'm not going to be able to read it for a while, but I look forward to doing so with enthusiasm. The title is THE ENDS OF LIFE: ROADS TO FULFILLMENT IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND.

Other people have praised the contents of this book, as well they should. So allow me to add something that might sway prospective readers.

I read this book at the conclusion of a year-long tutorial on this period of English history. Having focused on economic, social, military, diplomatic and religious histories of the time, I could not have been better prepared to read this book. It was, hands, down, the most perfect book I could have picked up after all that.

However, I realize that my circumstances will likely differ from others. Some people won't dive into this book after having waded through multiple texts on the centuries in question. This book shouldn't be appealing to academics or (in my case) failed academics alone. So, to those curious who haven't specialized in this field or even had the happy luck to muck about in it, like I did, I will say two things.

One, I enthusiastically recommended this book to several college buddies, none of whom were history students. While they had some questions that needed a glance at an encyclopedia, all thoroughly enjoyed it. Based on their responses, I'd say anyone with any background or interest in/familiarity with anthropology, religion or early English literature will enjoy this book.

Two, I read this book right before meeting my stepfather-in-law, a Presbyterian minister, for the first time. And just based on asking him questions and bringing up the subject matter provided us with hours of fascinating conversation. If you know anyone well-schooled in religion who enjoys talking about its history (and is not offended by the suggestion that sometimes religion can err), this book will be great conversation fodder and a delightful present.

That being said, reading this book was a wonderful experience. It combined the rigors of excellent scholarship with the pleasures of dryly witty writing and engrossing primary-source material. (I cannot say enough about this. It's a misfortune of the rigors of historical research that many of the people with the stamina to endure it don't seem to possess a similar aptitude for writing. Thomas may not be as pithy and light as A.J.P. Taylor, but his prose is far above historical-text average, and what he lacks as a stylist is more than made up for by the funny, bizarre and vivid primary-source passages he quotes.)

Ten years ago, this book might have been more difficult for non-historians, non-theologians and non-anthropologists to pick up and just read for fun. Now, with Wikipedia and countless other online tools, references to English history that might otherwise have seemed cryptic or arcane are easily searched and can only add to the full experience of enjoying Mr. Thomas' work. It might feel like work for a little while, to constantly refer to an online encyclopedia to clarify points about Charles I or Oliver Cromwell, but that will pass. Don't be afraid to jump in! It's a challenging text at times, but it is well worth the effort.

Keith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic was the first of my books for summer reading, and I doubt that any novel that I choose will be half as entertaining or any text as informative. By the conclusion I felt that I was completing an odessey throughout the early modern era with a sympathy and understanding of a world far different then ours in some respects, yet, as Thomas succinctly points out in the conclusion, profoundly similar. No other history book has granted me a deeper sense of understanding about human drives for stability and for explaination in all things. This is a book that grants insight and understanding far beyond its proclaimed subject matter, with positive and sweeping consequences for the objective thinker.

Keith Thomas is one of the most recognized early modern historians. And this is his seminal work. It is universally noted as one of the great early modern history books. And this is not without excellent reason.
By examining two of the most unique and pertinent topics of early modern England (religion and magic), Thomas is able to give a dynamic account of an oftentimes overlooked period of Western civilization and thoroughly examine the social mentalities and perceptions behind witchcraft/magic/prophecy/etc. With his characteristic grasp of communication, Thomas brings in an plethora of primary sources giving the book an original flavor and an almost 'magical'(forgive me) appeal.
The book is both a serious work of scholarship and an accessible read for those not familiar with social science rhetoric. It has become a vital part of my own graduate research and an enjoyable doorway into the world of early modern society.
The only reason, it has not received five stars in my review is the weakness of the final chapter. The book does cover three hundred years of belief, in a period when reason and belief began their modern schism away from each other, and perhaps this has something to do with the unconclusive conclusion with which Thomas leaves the reader.

I used this book while I was in college for a great many reports. It is informative, concise, and organized in a logical manner. It is also very interesting and easy to understand. Although this book is very long, which can be daunting, there are so many useful facets within it that it's like having several books in one. The bibliography itself helped me more than I can say on more than one occasion. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a (for the most part) objective account of the spiritual lives of the peoples of the past.

This book covered most every aspect of religion and the Reformation. Beginning with the wonderful opening chapter that explains the environment of the current era and ending with the equally as powerful conclusion that ties the whole book together. You are exposed to astrologists, witches, cunning men, sorcerers and realize how they each worked against, and with, the Church. We see how the rising of Church of England ebolished the idea of "magic" and miricals, an important factor in the decline of Catholocism. I highly reccomend this as an advanced reader to anyone interested in how the "pagen" influence and Church power intermingaled in an age when community was giving way to individulism. Brilliant.

I used this book while I was in college for a great many reports. It is informative, concise, and organized in a logical manner. It is also very interesting and easy to understand. Although this book is very long, which can be daunting, there are so many useful facets within it that it's like having several books in one. The bibliography itself helped me more than I can say on more than one occasion. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a (for the most part) objective account of the spiritual lives of the peoples of the past.