Author Description

This is a study of magic in western Europe in the early Middle Ages. The author explores its practice and belief in Christian society, and examines the problems raised by so-called "pagan survivals" and "superstition". She unravels the complex processes at work to show how the rejection of non-Christian magic came to be tempered by a more accommodating attitude: confrontation was replaced by negotiation, and certain practices previously condemned were not merely accepted, but actively encouraged. The forms of magic chosen for rescue, as well as those the Church set out to obliterate, are carefully analyzed. The "superstitions" condemned at the Reformation are shown to be, in origin, rational and intelligent concessions intended to reconcile co-existing cultures. The author explores the sophisticated cultural and religious compromise achieved by the church in this period. Aimed at scholars and students of medieval European history, especially social, cultural, and religious historians, historians of the early Christian church, and specialists in the history of magic, this is a scholarly contribution to the study of the Christianization of Europe.