Abstract

This thesis will approach Christian-authored works of demonic ritual magic (c1350-c1580) as narratives that offer us a window into the individual and collective identity-formation of Christians in German-speaking premodern Europe. This project is meant to address what I view as a three-pronged problem: 1) we do not always view esoteric disciplines (particularly magic) as part of the lived experience of religion in premodernity; 2) the failure to acknowledge esotericism as part of the lived experience of religion in premodernity is rooted in academic apprehensiveness about accepting esoteric texts as valid sources of knowledge about premodern religion; 3) this apprehensiveness prevents us from seeing the full value of esoteric texts—from acknowledging that they have much to tell us about the premodern social milieu, and, moreover, much to tell us about the how process of Christian identity-formation unfolded in this social context.

Part I of the dissertation will seek to contextualize my analysis. I will begin by laying out important terms and concepts, as well as the socio-cultural and religious context of premodern Germanic Europe. I will conclude Part I by developing my theoretical and methodological framework, one of cognitive narratology informed by theories of post-colonialism and alterity. Part II is where I will undertake my textual analysis. I will assert: 1) the portrayal of demonic ritual magic in these Christian-authored texts can be read as a reflection of Jewish-Christian relations during this period; 2) the way in which these texts seek to diminish the power of the Jewish magician (and, by extension, the “threat” represented by Jewish alterity in general) demonstrates how Christian discourse on magic became a space for grappling with social tensions, as well as a space for solidifying and validating the hegemony of the Christian identity by providing justification for the social, spiritual, and magical centrality of Christians in the premodern world. I will conclude by linking this analysis back to my overarching concern with the problematic articulated above: the academic valuation of esoteric texts.