Religion, Magic, and Science in Early Modern Europe and America

by Allison P. Coudert

Publisher:

Praeger

, 2011

This fascinating study looks at how the seemingly incompatible forces of science, magic, and religion came together in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries to form the foundations of modern culture.

As Religion, Magic, and Science in Early Modern Europe and America makes clear, the early modern period was one of stark contrasts: witch burnings and the brilliant mathematical physics of Isaac Newton; John Locke's plea for tolerance and the palpable lack of it; the richness of intellectual and artistic life, and the poverty of material existence for all but a tiny percentage of the population. Yet, for all the poverty, insecurity, and superstition, the period produced a stunning galaxy of writers, artists, philosophers, and scientists.

This book looks at the conditions that fomented the emergence of such outstanding talent, innovation, and invention in the period 1450 to 1800. It examines the interaction between religion, magic, and science during that time, the impossibility of clearly differentiating between the three, and the impact of these forces on the geniuses who laid the foundation for modern science and culture.

Features

Illustrations
A bibliography

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 All Coherence Gone
Chapter 2 Magic
Chapter 3 Miracles
Chapter 4 Witches and Witch Hunting
Chapter 5 The "Godly State"
Chapter 6 The Anthropological Revolution
Chapter 7 Religion and the Scientific Revolution
Chapter 8 Esotericism and the Scientific Revolution
Chapter 9 A Test Case
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Product Details

• Title: Religion, Magic, and Science in Early Modern Europe and America
• Author: Allison P. Coudert
• Publisher: Praeger
• Print Publication Date: 2011
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBN: 9798216138112
• Resource ID: LLS:9798216138112
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-15T15:20:51Z

About the Author

Allison P. Coudert, PhD, is the Paul A. and Marie Castelfranco Endowed Chair in the History of Christianity in the Religious Studies Program at the University of California, Davis, CA.