A Defence of Witchcraft Belief: A Sixteenth-Century Response to Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft...

— —

Eric Pudney (Researcher in English Literature)

A Defence of Witchcraft Belief

A Sixteenth-Century Response to Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft

Eric Pudney (Researcher in English Literature)

$44.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Manchester University Press
26 September 2023

Early modern history: c 1450 to c 1700; History of religion; Witchcraft

This is the first published edition of a fascinating manuscript on witchcraft in the collection of the British Library, written by an unknown sixteenth-century scholar.

Responding to a pre-publication draft of Reginald Scot's sceptical Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), the treatise represents the most detailed defence of witchcraft belief to be written in the early modern period in England. It highlights in detail the scriptural and theological justifications for a belief in witches, covering ground that may well have been considered too sensitive for print publications and presenting learned arguments not found in any other contemporary English work. Consequently, it offers a unique insight into elite witchcraft belief dating from the very beginning of the English witchcraft debate. This edition, which includes a comprehensive analytical introduction, presents the treatise with modernised spelling and relevant excepts from Scot's book.

Edited by: Eric Pudney (Researcher in English Literature)
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 331g
ISBN: 9781526174451
ISBN 10: 1526174456
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 26 September 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Eric Pudney is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Lund University -- .

Reviews for A Defence of Witchcraft Belief: A Sixteenth-Century Response to Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft

'In sum, in his excellent introduction to this treatise and in his thoughtful and careful editing of it, Eric Pudney has made a marvellous contribution to the study of early modern English witchcraft. From this point on, further studies of Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft will undoubtedly be indebted to it.' Philip Almond, Folklore ''Eric Pudney deserves nothing but praise and gratitude for his excellent editorial work, demonstrating this manuscript's complex interaction with Scot's Discoverie and illuminating the origins of both texts. We are very much in his debt.' Jan Machielsen, Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'Eric Pudney's edition of a hitherto virtually unnoticed anonymous response to Scot's famous The discoverie of witchcraft (1584) [is] extraordinarily significant.' Stuart Clark, Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft -- .