Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century England

Keith Thomas is known for his groundbreaking historical and religious scholarship. This book is a MUST for anyone studying the subjects of religion, heresy, magic, witchcraft, and early modern Christianity. Although a number of books have followed this one, this is a classic. It is obvious that Thomas spent a number of years on this book by the sheer amount of information it contains. He draws on a diverse amount of sources... Read Full Review

Note: Some immature Mormon has been slamming my reviews because I wrote some negative reviews of books attempting to defend the Book of Mormon. So your "helpful" votes are greatly appreciated. A short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to a fascinating book. In this review, I have just noted the general theme. Thanks "Religion and the Decline of Magic" is full of insights that help us understand the appeal... Read Full Review

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... Read Full Review

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... Read Full Review