Witchcraft in the British Isles and New England: New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology by Levack, Brian P

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Witchcraft & Wicca

Witchcraft in the British Isles and New England: New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology

Name: Witchcraft in the British Isles and New England: New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology
Price: 225.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (2 reviews)
Author: Levack, Brian P
ISBN: 9780815336723

Levack, Brian P

Reader rating

4.7

(1 reviews) 141 sold

$225.00

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unravel centuries of sorcery, belief, and scholarly evolution across two continents.

Delve into the captivating evolution of witchcraft studies with this essential compendium, spanning the British Isles and New England. Curated by a leading authority, this collection compiles pivotal academic articles from the last two decades, showcasing profound shifts in understanding magic, demonology, and societal beliefs. It offers interdisciplinary insights from gender studies, anthropology, history, and more, illuminating how scholarship on these enduring phenomena has transformed. An invaluable resource for serious students and researchers, it provides a comprehensive overview of modern perspectives on an age-old subject.

Key themes

Shifting Academic Lenses A Multidisciplinary Tapestry British Isles & New England

Historical context

This volume sits firmly within the academic study of early modern history and religious anthropology, bridging the gap between traditional demonology and contemporary sociological analysis. It represents a shift in occult scholarship toward interdisciplinary methodologies rather than purely theological or legalistic interpretations.

Levack, Brian P

📚 all books by this author (9) →

Difficulty

●●● Demanding

Fans will love it

Keith Thomas (Folklore in Early Modern England) · Lyndal Roper (Oedipus and the Witch) · Ronald Hutton (The Witch: A History of Fear)

🌙 Witchcraft & Wicca

🏛 Routledge 📅 2001 📖 548 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9780815336723

Fun fact

This collection excels in presenting a sophisticated, up-to-date overview of witchcraft scholarship, making accessible the most influential research from the past two decades. It masterfully showcases the interdisciplinary dialogues now shaping the field. However, readers hoping for an introductory historical narrative or practical magical insights will find themselves looking elsewhere. This is an indispensable, authoritative resource for academic researchers, students, and anyone committed to rigorous, critical engagement with the history of magic and belief.

📝 Description: Witchcraft in the British Isles and New England: New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology

Witchcraft and magical beliefs have captivated historians and artists for millennia, and stimulated an extraordinary amount of research among scholars in a wide range of disciplines. This new collection, from the editor of the highly acclaimed 1992 set, Articles on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology, extends the earlier volumes by bringing together the most important articles of the past twenty years and covering the profound changes in scholarly perspective over the past two decades. Featuring thematically organized papers from a broad spectrum of publications, the volumes in this set encompass the key issues and approaches to witchcraft research in fields such as gender studies, anthropology, sociology, literature, history, psychology, and law. This new collection provides students and researchers with an invaluable resource, comprising the most important and influential discussions on this topic. A useful introductory essay written by the editor precedes each volume.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This compendium is an indispensable resource for those engaged in the serious academic study of witchcraft and demonology. Levack’s curation offers a sophisticated look at how scholarship has transformed over the last two decades, utilizing gender studies and anthropology to illuminate historical contexts. However, it is strictly an academic volume; it does not suit casual readers seeking practical spellwork, romanticized narratives of witchcraft, or accessible general history. Those looking for 'Wicca' as a modern religion may find the focus on historical demonology and societal belief systems too dry and dense. It is a tool for researchers, not a leisure read.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Serious students, researchers, and scholars of history or gender studies will find immense value in this curated collection. Brian P. Levack brings together pivotal academic articles that reveal profound shifts in how we understand magic, demonology, and societal beliefs across the British Isles and New England. It offers essential interdisciplinary insights from anthropology and history, making it a comprehensive overview of modern perspectives on these enduring phenomena. If you seek to unravel the scholarly evolution of sorcery studies rather than read practical guides, this text provides the rigorous foundation necessary for deep academic inquiry.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5

★★★★★

For serious students, researchers, and anyone deeply invested in the academic study of witchcraft. If you seek rigorous, interdisciplinary analyses rather than practical spellcraft, and want to understand the *history* of belief, this collection will be an indispensable addition to your library.

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This compendium is an indispensable resource for those engaged in the serious academic study of witchcraft and demonology. Levack’s curation offers a sophisticated look at how scholarship has transformed over the last two decades, utilizing gender studies and anthropology to illuminate historical contexts. However, it is strictly an academic volume; it does not suit casual readers seeking practical spellwork, romanticized narratives of witchcraft, or accessible general history. Those looking for 'Wicca' as a modern religion may find the focus on historical demonology and societal belief systems too dry and dense. It is a tool for researchers, not a leisure read.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While fascinating, this collection is designed for an academic audience already familiar with scholarly discourse on historical witchcraft, magic, and demonology. It compiles research papers, not an introductory guide to practices or general history.

Yes, it gathers significant articles published over the last two decades, many of which present groundbreaking research and reinterpretations. It specifically aims to incorporate and reflect the "profound changes in scholarly perspective" during this period.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Shifting Academic Lenses

This collection highlights how the academic understanding of witchcraft, magic, and demonology has profoundly changed since the early 1990s. It meticulously tracks the development of new theories and methodologies, demonstrating the dynamic nature of historical and social inquiry into these complex subjects, offering fresh insights into past beliefs.

A Multidisciplinary Tapestry

The book draws from a rich array of fields including gender studies, anthropology, sociology, and legal history. By weaving together insights from these diverse disciplines, it offers a more holistic and nuanced understanding of witchcraft phenomena, moving beyond singular historical narratives to explore the cultural, psychological, and social dimensions of belief.

British Isles & New England

Focusing specifically on the historical narratives of witchcraft accusations and magical practices in both the British Isles and early colonial New England, the volume provides comparative insights. It allows readers to examine regional variations and common threads in the perception and prosecution of magic, grounding the theoretical discussions in specific historical contexts.

💬 Quotes from the book

“The shift from diabolical pact theory to socio-economic explanations marks a crucial turning point in the historiography of early modern witch-hunts.”

“Gendered narratives of accusation in New England often reveal underlying anxieties about female agency and communal control rather than solely supernatural fears.”

📜 Historical context

This work builds upon a long tradition of scholarly inquiry into witchcraft that gained significant momentum in the late 20th century, particularly with the rise of social history and cultural studies. It continues the essential task of demystifying historical phenomena by subjecting them to critical academic examination, updating and broadening the foundational texts that shaped modern witchcraft scholarship.

📚 Glossary

Witchcraft
Demonology
Interdisciplinary

📔 Questions to reflect on

How have evolving academic perspectives on historical witchcraft changed your own understanding of these phenomena?
Considering the interdisciplinary nature of this research, which specific academic fields do you believe offer the most compelling insights into past magical beliefs?
What parallels or divergences do you observe between witchcraft accusations in the British Isles and New England, and what social factors might explain them?