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Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History) Paperback – January 1, 2003

by Keith Thomas (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 337 ratings
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Witchcraft, astrology, divination, and every kind of popular magic flourished in England during the 16th and 17th 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.
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Penguin History
  2. Print length
    853 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Penguin
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2003
  6. Grade level
    12 and up
  7. Reading age
    18 years and up
  8. Dimensions
    7.8 x 5.08 x 2.05 inches
  9. ISBN-10
    0140137440
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0140137446
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Monumental. . . with a living treasure on each page, and probably the book that, in my whole life, I've pressed on other people most energetically. (Selected people, of course. They have to care for history, and they need a sense of wonder and a sense of fun.)  — Hilary Mantel, New York Times

About the Author

Keith Thomas is a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He was formerly President of Corpus Christi College and, before that, Professor of Modern History and Fellow of St John's College. He was knighted in 1988 for services to the study of history.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; New edition (January 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 853 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140137440
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140137446
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 5.08 x 2.05 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 337 ratings

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Keith Thomas

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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
337 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Pavel K Kepezhinskas
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book somewhat reminiscent of Frazer's Golden Bough
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020
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This a an excellent treatise of manifestations of magic beliefs, approaches, manuscripts, artifacts, astrological predictions and "every kind of popular magic" in 16-17th centuries England. So many great stories, a whole stadium filled with great personages, treacherous monks and bishops mixed with undiscerning nobles (including royalty) with additions of playwrights (Marlowe, Pope, Dryden) and "peppered" by the likes of Roger Bacon, Cardinal Woolsey, Anne Boleyn, witchcraft, some necromancy, some alchemy and astrology, crazy doctors ands bloodthirsty surgeons - all mixed together into an incredibly entertaining carnival on the streets and meadows of the Good Old England! Great read for both history mongers and people, who want to sent several evenings, if not days, literally glued into a 800+ manuscript. Just pick up the book and venture into the kaleidoscopical Victorian age, as if you reached it accidentally on a time machine.
3 people found this helpful
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Charles Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Whatever Floats Your Boat!
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2015
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"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?
7 people found this helpful
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jtass
4.0 out of 5 stars Intended of the more serious scholar but accessible to all
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2016
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This is a scholarly work, not lightweight entertainment. That being said, the book is well written and quite interesting. Anyone with even a cursory interest in magic, the time period, the beginnings of the Enlightenment or the origins of modern superstitions would find items of interest in this text. Those who have a passing interest would do lots of skimming, those who are deeply interested in any or all of the subject would be motivated to delve deeper into the material.
2 people found this helpful
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artemis 1291
5.0 out of 5 stars magic and mass
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2020
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The purpose of reading and knowing the history of the world is to know the whys and wherefores of the contemporary world we live in. Therefore, it is inappropriate and impudent even to make a temerarious judgment against the past and the ancestors to live the way they did. Mankind in the face of contemporary existential strains of life has often attributed its frailties to the development of certain religious beliefs, leading to the shaping of the anima mundi of the time it exists. Such a symbolic interactionist perspective on history is perspicaciously excised in Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas that shows us how collective splinters of folklore could influence the Modus Operandi of established religion.

The pith of folklore is a reputed natural human tendency in dealing with daily life amid double jeopardy of whimsical nature and more capricious mankind that results in finding pain relief in the form of supernatural elements. Keith illustrates the social and cultural climates of 16th and 17th century England where the efficacy of magic was reputed to overwhelm the consolation of the Gospel in the recourse to the powerful being that could supposedly give the supplicants the immediate panacea to their existential malaise. This popular attitude toward the magical measure of putative healing betokens the reason why there was no active mass active involvement in radical social reform or political radicalism; it was their way of mitigating the rigor of their daily duties that life imposed. The concept of chance was a welcome method of diverting the rules of merit and reward in prosperous life that only a select few would and could achieve to the game of luck played by goddess Fortuna’s Wheel of Fortune. By trusting the work of pure luck, people would not jeopardize their self-esteem because fortune was beyond their measures no matter how hard they worked hard to obtain it.

How the folk belief in magic influenced the established Christianity, particularly Catholicism, is the sine qua non of mesmerism of popular psychology and its portent efficacy of evangelization with a promise of magical healing. The church incorporated the magical elements of pagan belief to its rituals and doctrines of the catechism, such as transubstantiation and holy relics by reconciling the esoteric pagan knowledge with the orthodox Christian teaching. The investment of supernatural power through religious ceremony propitiated the minds of the low and high alike non-discriminately via syncretism until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and the English Reformation that necessitated the emerging of new natural science and mechanical philosophy and the accordant mode of thinking ultimately debilitating the supreme power of magic and the magical elements used in the church.

Keith is excellent in disabusing readers what might seem to be a trifle and pettifogging subject to advanced minds with his wealth of knowledge on the subject and human psychology narrated in plain language so that readers of all strata can access the secret garden of knowledge that he kindly invites us to visit and wallow ourselves in. This is my second time reading his work, and I am always amazed by his depth of erudition fabulously conflated with his witty remarks on events and vivacious descriptions of the period, all gleaned from his extensive research on the subject and keen scholarly observations thereon. This book is not a book of magical incantations, but about the power of the populace that made magic popular and unpopular as the seasons of mankind required new kind of belief system synonymous with the ethos of contemporary life.
10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Markai
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent history book
Reviewed in France on June 2, 2016
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ce n'est pas tant un livre sur la magie ou les sorciers qu'une exploration de la façon de comprendre le monde d'avant les lumières... un classique.
One person found this helpful
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AbbeyLauren
5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2015
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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.
11 people found this helpful
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Haley
3.0 out of 5 stars Book arrive with damaged cover
Reviewed in Germany on November 25, 2023
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The book has just arrived and is meant to be in new condition, however the rear cover is peeling off which is quite disappointing. I don’t particularly want to go through returning because that will delay reading it.
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Haley
3.0 out of 5 stars Book arrive with damaged cover
Reviewed in Germany on November 25, 2023
The book has just arrived and is meant to be in new condition, however the rear cover is peeling off which is quite disappointing. I don’t particularly want to go through returning because that will delay reading it.
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D. J. B. James
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2017
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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.
24 people found this helpful
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Chris Christofferson
3.0 out of 5 stars All about magic!
Reviewed in Germany on January 4, 2019
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Well researched and interesting, but far too detailed/repetitive making the reading tedious. The (very) small print in this pocket book edition did not help matters...
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