MACMILLAN Knowing Demons, Knowing Spirits in the Early Modern Period (Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic)

This book explores the manifold ways of knowing―and knowing about― preternatural beings such as demons, angels, fairies, and other spirits that inhabited and were believed to act in early modern European worlds. Its contributors examine how people across the social spectrum assayed the various types of spiritual entities that they believed dwelled invisibly but meaningfully in the spaces just beyond (and occasionally within) the limits of human perception. Collectively, the volume demonstrates that an awareness and understanding of the nature and capabilities of spirits―whether benevolent or malevolent―was fundamental to the knowledge-making practices that characterize the years between ca. 1500 and 1750.  This is, therefore, a book about how epistemological and experiential knowledge of spirits persisted and evolved in concert with the wider intellectual changes of the early modern period, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. Review "The experience of reading this book has given me a better understanding not only of the beliefs of our ancestors and the inhabitants of the lands they conquered but also of our Western mind-set which has done so much to create the modern world. The book manages to be both educational and entertaining, and is well worth reading." (Robin Carlile, Magonia review of books, July 26, 2019) From the Back Cover This book explores the manifold ways of knowing―and knowing about― preternatural beings such as demons, angels, fairies, and other spirits that inhabited and were believed to act in early modern European worlds. Its contributors examine how people across the social spectrum assayed the various types of spiritual entities that they believed dwelled invisibly but meaningfully in the spaces just beyond (and occasionally within) the limits of human perception. Collectively, the volume demonstrates that an awareness and understanding of the nature and capabilities of spirits―whether benevolent or malevolent―was fundamental to the knowledge-making practices that characterize the years between ca. 1500 and 1750.  This is, therefore, a book about how epistemological and experiential knowledge of spirits persisted and evolved in concert with the wider intellectual changes of the early modern period, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment.  About the Author Michelle D. Brock is Associate Professor of History at Washington and Lee University, USA.   Richard Raiswell is Associate Professor of History at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. David R. Winter is Associate Professor of History at Brandon University, Canada.