Religion and the Decline of Magic
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
Religion and the Decline of Magic
| Full title | Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century England |
|---|---|
| Author | Keith Thomas |
| Published | 1971 |
| Pages | 716 |
| Recommended | Once |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Thomas on astrology, witchcraft, cunning folk, prophecy and healing charms in early modern England, and on how those beliefs receded without being refuted. |
Where I heard about it
- @typesfast’s thread — a reply to his question “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” in the thread, June 2025, which added “or anything by Frances Yates” — pointing to Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition and The Art of Memory, the neighbouring work on Renaissance hermeticism. The full list of replies lives on What’s the best history book… (tweet).
Connections
- What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
- Religion · Christianity — the frame the magic sat beside.
What links here
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.