Astrology, witchcraft, magical healing, divination, ancient prophecies, ghosts, and fairies were taken very seriously by people at all social and economic levels in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. Helplessness in the face of disease and human disaster helped to perpetuate this belief in magic and the supernatural. As Keith Thomas shows, England during these years resembled in many ways today's "underdeveloped areas." The English population was exceedingly liable to pain, sickness, and premature death; many were illiterate; epidemics such as the bubonic plague plowed through English towns, at times cutting the number of London's inhabitants by a sixth; fire was a constant threat; the food supply was precarious; and for most diseases there was no effective medical remedy.  In this fascinating and detailed book, Keith Thomas shows how magic, like the medieval Church, offered an explanation for misfortune and a means of redress in times of adversity. The supernatural thus had its own practical utility in daily life. Some forms of magic were challenged by the Protestant Reformation, but only with the increased search for scientific explanation of the universe did the English people begin to abandon their recourse to the supernatural.  Science and technology have made us less vulnerable to some of the hazards which confronted the people of the past. Yet Religion and the Decline of Magic concludes that "if magic is defined as the employment of ineffective techniques to allay anxiety when effective ones are not available, then we must recognize that no society will ever be free from it."

Religion & the Decline of Magic

Keith, Thomas

PRENTICE/HALL

Religion And the Decline of Magic

Religion & Spirituality

Religious Studies

Penguin

Founders of the Faith comprises four self-contained studies of the world's greatest religious figures - the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad - the distinctive features of the great religious traditions that each inspired, and the reasons for their profound and lasting influence.

Founders of Faith

Oxford Univ. Pr.

Religion and the decline of magic: Studies in popular beliefs in sixteenth and seventeenth century England

Occult & Paranormal

Weidenfeld&Nicolson

Religion And The Decline Of Magic

Religion and the Decline of Magic

Weidenfeld &Nicholson

<p>What did it mean to be `civilized' in Early Modern England? Keith Thomas's seminal studies Religion and the Decline of Magic , Man and the Natural World , and The Ends of Life , explored the beliefs, values and social practices of the years between 1500 and 1800. In Pursuit of Civility continues this quest by examining what the English people thought it meant to be `civilized' and how that condition differed from being `barbarous' or `savage' . Thomas shows how the upper ranks of society sought to distinguish themselves from their social inferiors by developing distinctive forms of moving, speaking and comporting themselves - and how the common people in turn developed their own forms of civility. The belief of the English in their superior civility shaped their relations with the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish. By legitimising international trade, colonialism, slavery, and racial discrimination, it was fundamental to their dealings with the native peoples of North America, India, and Australia. Yet not everyone shared this belief in the superiority of Western civilization. In Pursuit of Civility throws light on the early origins of anti-colonialism and cultural relativism, and goes on to examine some of the ways in which the new forms of civility were resisted. With all the author's distinctive authority and brilliance - based as ever on wide reading, abounding in fresh insights, and illustrated by many striking quotations and anecdotes from contemporary sources - In Pursuit of Civility transforms our understanding of the past. In so doing, it raises important questions as to the role of manners in the modern world.</p>

In Pursuit Of Civility

History

Europe

Yale University Press

In Pursuit of Civility Manners & Civiliz

An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Plain and Spherical Trigonometry: And the Stereographic Projection of the Sphere : Including the Theory of Navigation

Science & Math

Mathematics

Franklin Classics

An Introduction To The Theory And Practice Of Plain And Spherical Trigonometry And The Stereographic Projection Of The Sphere; Including The Theory Of Navigation

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Literature & Fiction

Essays & Correspondence

Kessinger Publishing

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Keith, Thomas. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Keith, Thomas