The Devil and Demonism in Early Modern England

An original and powerful examination of the concept of the Devil in early modern England.

Nathan Johnstone (Author)

9780521120548, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 1 October 2009

352 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.52 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This is a rich, imaginative and (within its period) wide-ranging book, which above all shows a firm grip on an impressive range of sources and a well-informed awareness of current secondary literature.' The Times Literary Supplement

An original book examining the concept of the Devil in English culture between the Reformation and the end of the English Civil War. Nathan Johnstone looks at the ways in which beliefs about the nature of the Devil and his power in human affairs changed as a consequence of the Reformation, and its impact on religious, literary and political culture. He moves away from the established focus on demonology as a component of the belief in witchcraft and examines a wide range of religious and political milieux, such as practical divinity, the interiority of Puritan godliness, anti-popery, polemic and propaganda, and popular culture. The concept of the Devil that emerged from the Reformation had a profound impact on the beliefs and practices of committed Protestants, but it also influenced both the political debates of the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I, and in popular culture more widely.

Introduction
1. The synagogue of Satan: anti-Catholicism, false doctrine and the construction of contrariety
2. Temptation: the Protestant dynamic of diabolic agency and the resurgence of clerical mediation
3. Satan and the godly in early modern England
4. Incarnate devils: crime narratives, demonization and audience empathy
5. 'What concord hath Christ with Belial': de facto satanism and the temptation of the body politic, 1570–1640
6. 'Grand Pluto's progress through Great Britaine': the civil war and the zenith of satanic politics
7. 'The Devil's Alpha and Omega': temptation at the cutting edge of faith in the civil war and the interregnum
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of religion [HRAX], Social & cultural history [HBTB], Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], British & Irish history [HBJD1]