A Magical World

November 20, 2017
With breakneck speed and a very broad brush, British historian Wilson (Mrs. Luther and Her Sisters) runs through many of the intellectual changes that occurred in Europe between 1450 and 1750. Throughout, Wilson attends to the contemporary epistemologies associated with both religion and science while exploring knowledge acquired via observation and faith. He also presents abbreviated summaries of the ideas of most of the leading intellectual figures of the time. The Catholic Church, Wilson notes, was worried about “the uncontrolled quest for knowledge (and, therefore, power)” and even argued that some scientific knowledge “was generated by the devil and his cohorts.” Knowledge, Wilson asserts, is indeed a powerful force and it was the availability of vernacular Bibles during this time that led to “the re-evaluation of every aspect of life.” This reconceptualization, in turn, “resulted in dislocation and warfare throughout Europe that lasted into the eighteenth century.” The shifting balance between religion and science is perhaps best exemplified by Wilson’s discussion of prosecutions for witchcraft, as the public “began to question” the theology of witches largely due to “the activities of the witchfinders.” This is a good overview and there is much of interest here, but Wilson prioritizes breadth rather than depth.

December 1, 2017
An exploration of how "we have always responded in two ways to the mystery of being: we have explored nature and supernature."Popular historian Wilson (The Traitor's Mark: A Tudor Mystery, 2015, etc.) covers a prodigious period of great thinkers and changing ideas from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, 1450 to 1750--no small feat. Acknowledging that superstition has been one of humanity's most significant psychological responses to the unknown encourages us to look at great thinkers in their own times and in context. Medieval pagan magic conjured demons and was motivated by pursuit of wealth and personal adulation, whereas Christian magic drew on biblical references and ancient Jewish texts. The Neoplatonists, seeking the origin of religion and philosophy, envisioned three other types of magic: natural, celestial, and ceremonial. Whatever the source, many questions remained. The author's chronicle of those attempting to understand these mysteries is formidable. He gives just enough biographical material to whet our appetites and see how these thinkers arrived at their conclusions, or lack thereof. Three main discoveries drove these new philosophers: the printing press, the microscope, and the telescope. The Bible was first printed in vernacular soon after the printing press was invented, and its availability raised many questions of interpretation. This fed the rise of individualism, giving ordinary people more questions to which the church had no answers; the threat to the church's authority was real. The concept of thought processes was debated endlessly by those who rejected Aristotelian methods, including Galileo, and shifted the focus from unproven theory to observable fact. The author shows how the danger to the institution of the church was tangible and caused many to defer publication of their works. Furthermore, the dissemination of newfound knowledge caused a major re-evaluation of lives, leading to dislocation and wars. The debate between science and superstition has been revamped since medieval times, but it is certain to endure for centuries to come.A good introduction to a significant historical period and encouragement for those with a great idea to continue seeking acceptance.

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January 1, 2018

The tremendous intellectual and cultural changes that occurred during the Renaissance and Enlightenment have been credited to a societal shift from a religious worldview to one ruled by strictly scientific principles. In this highly accessible book, Wilson (Mrs. Luther and Her Sisters) contradicts this view, arguing instead for a hybrid quest for truth that encompassed both observation and divine revelation. Providing brief biographies of the lives and work of the leading thinkers of these eras, Wilson demonstrates how "scientia" included not only scientific experimentation but theology, metaphysics, alchemy, and medicine, and explores the continuing interest of preeminent scientific pioneers such as Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler in theological issues. Even the persecution of Galileo by the Vatican did not signal a final break between science and religion, argues Wilson, but was merely one battle in the larger Reformation struggle against the Catholic Church's unwillingness to sanction alternative interpretations of the Bible. Wilson ably posits that most intellectuals sought a middle way between extreme rationalism and radical religious thought, and in their embrace of both religion and science contributed invaluably to a search for understanding that continues to this day. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers interested in scientific or European history.--Sara Shreve, Newton, KSSolutions for winter-weary gardeners; botanist David Fairchild; visionaries of the 20th century

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