Ritual, Myth and Magic in Early Modern Europe - University of Reading

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44 Was astrology the preserve of the elite, or a set of ideas which was accessible to the populace? Who practiced astrology? What were the main reasons for ecclesiastical opposition to astrology? What were the main ‗discoveries‘ of early modern astronomy? Why was there such opposition to the works of Copernicus and Galileo? How far did Copernicus and Galileo (and their condemnation) shape attitudes to the stars? Was there a practical difference between astrology and astronomy at this time? Primary Source Texts Cardano, De Libris Propriis Del Rio, Disquisitiones Magicae Agrippa, De Occulta Philosophia Morin, Astrologia Gallica Calvin, Advertissement Contra L‘Astrologie Judicaire Pithoys, Traitte Curieux de l‘astrologie judiciaire Brahe, De Disciplinis Mathematicis Copernicus, The Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies Bellarmine on Galileo Secondary Reading Allen, D., The Star Crossed Renaissance: The Quarrel about Astrology and its Influence in England (1966) Armitage, A., Copernicus and the Reformation of Astronomy (London, 1950). Capp, B., English Almanacs 1500-1800: Astrology and the Popular Press (1979) Copenhaver, B.P., ‗Astrology and Magic‘, in C.Schmitt, Q.Skinner eds., The Cambridge History of Renaissance Philosophy (Cambridge, 1987). Curry, P., Prophecy and Power (Cambridge, 1989). ‗Astrology in Early Modern England. The making of vulgar knowledge‘, S.Pumfrey et al. Eds., Science, Culture and Popular Belief in Renaissance Europe (Cambridge, 1991). Debus, A.G.,Man and Nature in the Renaissance (Cambridge, 1978). Alchemy and Chemistry in the Seventeenth Century (New York, 1966). Dixon, C.S., ‗Popular Astrology and Lutheran Propaganda in Reformation Germany‘,History 84 (July 1999). Finocchiaro, M., The Galileo Affair. A Documentary History (Berkeley, 1989). Garin, E., Astrology in the Renaissance. The Zodiac of Life (London, 1983). Goodman, C., Science & Belief from Copernicus to Darwin (Open University, 1974). Koyre, A., The Astronomical Revolution (Cambridge, 1973). Levere, T., Shea, W., eds Nature, Experiment and the Sciences. Essays on Galileo and the history of science (Dordrecht, London, 1990). Maxwell-Stuart, P., The Occult in Early Modern Europe (New York, 1999). Parker, D., Familiar to All: William Lilly and Astrology in the Seventeenth Century (1975) Racaut, L., ‗A Protestant or Catholic Superstition? Astrology and Eschatology during the French Wars of Religion‘, in H. Parish and W.G.Naphy (eds.), Religion and Superstition in Reformation Europe (2002)
45 Read, J., Prelude to Chemistry. An outline of alchemy, its literature and relationships (London, 1936). Redondi, P., Galileo Heretic (Princeton, 1987). Schechner, S., Comets, Popular Culture and the birth of modern cosmology (Princeton, 1997). Shumaker, W., Occult Sciences in the Renaissance (London, 1972). Tester, S., A History of Western Astrology (1987) Thomas, K., Religion and the Decline of Magic (London, 1971). Esp. ch 10-12 Wallace, W.A., Prelude to Galileo. Essays on Medieval and sixteenth century sources of Galileo’s Thought (Dordrecht, London 1981). Wildong, M., Raising Spirits, making gold, and swapping wives (Beeston, 1999). Seminar 9 : Science and the Supernatural : The Disenchantment of Europe Summary Throughout the course, we have examined a variety of beliefs and attitudes in popular and elite culture. We have looked at perceptions of magic and the influence of the supernatural in the material world, views on death, ghosts and the afterlife, and at attitudes to witches, witchcraft, prophecy and astrology. However we have also considered the way in which these beliefs have changed over time, moulded by religious conflict, scientific discovery, and intellectual debate. By now, the description of early modern culture by Keith Thomas in terms of religion and the decline of magic should be a familiar one. Max Weber referred to the rise of a rational and orderly universe, and the subsequent ‗disenchantment of the world‘, the removal of the magic, mysterious, and supernatural from the events of daily life. Similarly, Bob Scribner has approached this question of ‗disenchantment‘ through a study of the impact of the Protestant Reformation on popular religion and popular culture in the sixteenth century. We saw how the arrival of the Inquisition in Oberstdorf brought about the ‗end of the dreamtime‘ – did the scientific revolution bring an end to the influence of ritual, myth, and magic? Or did, as Thomas suggests, magic decay before a new rational system of explanation had been invented to take its place? Did the supernatural cease to hold power, leaving space for the explanations of the scientists, or did magic collapse under pressure, squeezed by reformed religion on one side and natural science on the other? Seminar Preparation Although we will use this session to consider explanations for the decline of magic at the end of our period, it will also be a useful chance to revisit some of our earlier topics. We will look at the relevant documents together, and consider some of the questions outlined above, but do take this opportunity to think about broad questions that will help you to revise this course, and we will take time to have a general revision session in the latter half of the seminar. Primary Source Texts Scot, Discoverie of Witchcraft Montaigne (extracts) Secondary Reading Anglo, S., The Damned Art : Essays in the Literature of Witchcraft (London, 1977).
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Ritual, Myth and Magic in Early Modern Europe - University of Reading

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