Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician — Ceremonial Magic

Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician — photo 1

Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician — photo 2

Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician — photo 3

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

⚜️ Ceremonial Magic

Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician

Name: Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician
Price: 54.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780271097442

✍️ Collins S J, David J

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$54.95

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Dive into the enigmatic legacy of Albert the Great, the esteemed Dominican friar and intellectual mentor to Thomas Aquinas, whose surprising endorsement of magical practices stirred centuries of debate. This compelling study explores how Albert, despite his controversial views, evaded condemnation, ultimately achieving sainthood. It meticulously traces the evolving interpretations of his work, from early adoration to later attempts at disentangling him from 'superstition.' The book illuminates the intricate dance between magic, science, and faith, using Albert's complex reputation as a lens to understand shifting cultural attitudes.

Collins S J, David J

📚 all books by this author (2) →

⚜️

Ceremonial Magic

Praise for this book

“David J. Collins has produced a superbly researched, cleverly written, and at times controversial analysis of Albert the Great's postmortem reputation. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Albert, medieval or early modern magic and other esoterica, or premodern intellectual history more broadly.”

— Scott E. Hendrix, coeditor of Integrative Mysticism

🏛 Penn State University Press 📅 2024 📖 224 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9780271097442

Fun Fact

This meticulously researched volume excels at unraveling one of history's most compelling paradoxes: the 'magician saint.' It offers a profound, nuanced understanding of medieval intellectual life and the delicate dance between faith, reason, and the esoteric. While not a compendium of spells, it's essential reading for serious scholars of medieval history, philosophy, or magic. Anyone desiring a rigorous, illuminating exploration of historical reinterpretation will find it indispensable.

📝 Description: Disenchanting Albert the Great: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Magician

Albert the Great (1200-1280) was a prominent Dominican friar, a leading philosopher, and the teacher of Thomas Aquinas. He also endorsed the use of magic. Controversial though that stance would have been, Albert was never punished or repudiated for what he wrote. Albert's reception followed instead a markedly different course, leading ultimately to his canonization by the Catholic Church in 1931. But his thoughts about magic have been debated for centuries. Disenchanting Albert the Great takes Albert's contested reputation as a case study for the long and complex history surrounding the concept of magic and magic's relationship to science and religion. Over the centuries, Albert was celebrated for his magic, or it was explained away--but he was never condemned. In the fifteenth century, members of learned circles first attempted to distance Albert from magic, with the goal of exonerating him of superstition, irrationality, and immorality. Disenchanting Albert the Great discusses the philosopher's own understanding of magic; an early, adulatory phase of his reputation as a magician; and the three primary strategies used to exonerate Albert over the centuries. In the end, Disenchanting Albert the Great tells the story of a thirteenth-century scholar who worked to disenchant the natural world with his ideas about magic but who himself would not be disenchanted until the modern era. This accessible and insightful history will appeal to those interested in Albert the Great, Catholic Church history, the history of magic, and Western understandings of the natural and the rational over time.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This scholarly examination offers a rigorous look at the enigmatic legacy of Albert the Great, effectively tracing how his reputation evolved from early adoration to later attempts at disentanglement from superstition. The author successfully illuminates the intricate relationship between magic, science, and faith, providing a fresh perspective on a canonical figure. However, readers seeking a practical grimoire or sensationalist accounts of medieval sorcery will find this dry academic approach unappealing. It is not suitable for those who prefer narrative-driven biographies over analytical historical critique. The text demands patience from casual readers expecting immediate mythical gratification rather than intellectual nuance.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book is an essential resource for scholars and enthusiasts of medieval history, theology, and the occult who seek to understand how intellectual figures navigated the precarious line between orthodoxy and heresy. Readers fascinated by the life of Albert the Great will appreciate the nuanced exploration of his dual reputation as a saintly master and a magician. It offers valuable insights into how cultural attitudes toward magic shifted over centuries, making it particularly rewarding for those interested in the history of ideas, the Dominican order, and the intellectual mentorship dynamics between Albert and Thomas Aquinas. If you are intrigued by the paradoxes of medieval intellect and the construction of legendary reputations, this study provides a compelling narrative that disentangles myth from historical reality without oversimplifying the complex theological landscape.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the complex interplay of faith, reason, and the occult in history, this book offers a profound journey. For students of medieval philosophy, magic, or the evolution of intellectual thought, it provides invaluable insights into a truly unique historical figure.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This scholarly examination offers a rigorous look at the enigmatic legacy of Albert the Great, effectively tracing how his reputation evolved from early adoration to later attempts at disentanglement from superstition. The author successfully illuminates the intricate relationship between magic, science, and faith, providing a fresh perspective on a canonical figure. However, readers seeking a practical grimoire or sensationalist accounts of medieval sorcery will find this dry academic approach unappealing. It is not suitable for those who prefer narrative-driven biographies over analytical historical critique. The text demands patience from casual readers expecting immediate mythical gratification rather than intellectual nuance.

❓ Frequently asked questions

The book explores his *endorsement* and theoretical understanding of certain magical practices, not necessarily his active role as a spell-caster. It differentiates between what he considered 'natural magic' and illicit sorcery, a critical distinction for understanding his era.

Unlike many others, Albert's powerful intellectual standing and, later, strategic reinterpretation of his texts allowed him to escape official censure. His eventual canonization highlights a long, complex process of historical revisionism and theological maneuvering.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Shifting Historical Narratives

Examines the centuries-long process of how Albert's image was shaped and reshaped. From being celebrated for his occult knowledge to later efforts to cleanse his name of 'superstition,' the book dissects the motivations behind these reinterpretations, highlighting how historical figures are often molded to fit contemporary cultural and religious agendas.

Intersections of Knowledge Systems

Investigates the blurred lines between what was considered natural philosophy, proto-science, and magic in the medieval and Renaissance periods. It reveals how these domains were often intertwined, not mutually exclusive, and how Albert's legacy serves as a prime example of the historical tension and occasional harmony between scientific inquiry, spiritual belief, and the practice of the occult.

📜 Historical context

This work situates Albert the Great within the vibrant intellectual landscape of the 13th century, an era synthesizing Aristotelian thought with Christian theology. It illuminates the often-ambiguous place of natural magic and occult practices within scholastic philosophy, demonstrating how figures like Albert navigated these waters, shaping the discourse on the boundaries between permissible knowledge and forbidden arts.

📚 Glossary

Scholasticism
Natural Magic
Canonization

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might our modern understanding of 'science' and 'magic' limit our appreciation of medieval intellectual pursuits?
In what ways do contemporary figures' reputations get reinterpreted or 'disenchanted' to fit current societal values?
Considering Albert's story, what does it reveal about the power of institutional authority (like the Church) to shape historical narratives?