A History of Science, Magic and Belief - by Steven P Marrone (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A History of Science, Magic and Belief is an exploration of the origins of modern society through the culture of the middle ages and early modern period. By examining the intertwined paths of three different systems for interpreting the world, it seeks to create a narrative which culminates in the birth of modernity. It looks at the tensions and boundaries between science and magic throughout the middle ages and how they were affected by elite efforts to rationalise society, often through religion. The witch-crazes of the sixteenth and seventeenth century are seen as a pivotal point, and the emergence from these into social peace is deemed possible due to the Scientific Revolution and the politics of the early modern state.

This book is unique in drawing together the histories of science, magic and religion. It is thus an ideal book for those studying any or all of these topics, and with its broad time frame, it is also suitable for students of the history of Europe or Western civilisation in general.

Review Quotes

Steven Marrone charts his own way through the vast literature in different fields of research ... Marrone's book, which provides a good synoptic view, will be a suitable reader for classes; furthermore, it should be a precursor to more research in the field, especially into the transitions between science and magic in the early modern period.
Frank Sobiech, Isis, Vol. 108 (3)

This is a wide-ranging book, which scholars and students alike will find useful. Steven P. Marrone examines the religious and scientific discourses that the modern world tends to separate, but which once flowed together in a single stream of knowledge and enquiry ... Marrone has read widely, uses vivid examples, tells a good story, and simplifies some complex ideas about medieval magic to make them intelligible to lay readers.
Malcolm Gaskill, European History Quarterly, Vol. 46 (4)

This is an interesting, enjoyable, and important contribution to the history of magic and witchcraft, with its epicenter remaining in the author's traditional power base of expertise.
Ronald Hutton, Magic Ritual and Witchcraft, Vol. 12 (1)

About the Author

Steven P. Marrone is Professor of History at Tufts University, USA.
Steven P. Marrone is Professor of History at Tufts University, USA.