The Devil in Tudor and Stuart England

by Darren Oldridge

The Devil was a commanding figure in Tudor and Stuart England. He played a leading role in the religious and political conflicts of the age, and inspired great works of poetry and drama. During the turmoil of the English Civil War, fears of a secret conspiracy of Devil-worshippers fuelled a witch-hunt that claimed at least a hundred lives. This book traces the idea of the Devel from the English Reformation to the scientific revolution of the late seventeenth century. It shows that he was not only a central figure in the imaginative life of the age, but also a deeply ambiguous and complex the avowed enemy of God and his unwilling accomplice, and a creature that provoked fascination, comedy and dread.

Genres: History

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2011

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating material wiht some interesting insights into the evolution of religious thought and how that spreads through a society, although the prose style is a tad dry and the examples tend to get a bit repetitive as each chapter progresses.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darren is one of my teachers at university and he is a great guy and so knowledgeable. I can read this and find it so insightful.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am interested in the period of the Reformation, so was well suited to this book. The writing is a bit clunky at times, particularly considering the fascinating subject matter, but he covers fascinating ground - especially the section on demonic possession and it's role in helping people overcome social inequality.

[Jessie B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter though I found the writing to be a bit dry.