Witchcraft and Religion: The Politics of Popular Belief

by Christina Larner

Book by Larner, Christina

Genres: History

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Ess Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very thin volume, the first part a collection of essays, the second a series of lectures. Larner's insights are interesting, her writing style awkward and her scholarship missing one key player who could have helped support her thesis of a top down socio-political impetus for the withcraft trials/hunts/scares - Carlo Ginzburg. Although Larner attempts to focus primarily on Scotland, her foray into the Continental and English versions of the witch trials, and the shared aspect of the shift from "sorcery" to "diabolism" through the sabbath was in need of some primary support. She outlines the issues of scholarship, and those challenges pen her in, keep her from making the interesting leaps and result in a rather flat historical work that feels older than it is.

If you are interested in seeing the Inquisition at work as the theory of the witch's sabbath solidifies, I would recommend Night Battles. Larner's treatment of her theoretic frame is a bit clinical and Ginzburg is an excellent compliment that gives a much richer understanding of that frame.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of essays, based on lectures, rather than a full case study. Larner's insights were often brilliant.