Abstract
In They Flew: A History of the Impossible, Carlos M. N. Eire delves into the fascinating and often perplexing accounts of seemingly impossible phenomena that proliferated during the early modern era. This period, marked by profound religious, intellectual, and scientific upheaval, witnessed a proliferation of stories about levitating saints, bilocating mystics, flying witches, and demonic possessions. These narratives existed alongside the rise of skepticism, atheism, and empirical science, which sought to challenge and often dismiss such occurrences as mere superstition. Eire’s work explores how a culture increasingly devoted to rational and scientific thought grappled with events that defied its understanding of the possible.
Eire argues that these accounts of the impossible were not mere fringe beliefs but were integral to the fabric of early modern life. Levitating saints and flying witches were as much a part of the historical landscape as the religious conflicts and scientific breakthroughs of the time. By examining firsthand accounts and focusing on particularly extraordinary cases—such as those involving St. Teresa of Avila, St. Joseph of Cupertino, the Venerable María de Ágreda, and three disgraced nuns—Eire challenges conventional assumptions about the boundaries between the natural and supernatural. He demonstrates how these boundaries were redrawn during the transition to modernity, revealing the complex interplay between belief, skepticism, and the evolving understanding of reality.
Central to Eire’s exploration are questions about why certain phenomena were deemed impossible and how cultural contexts shape these determinations. He invites readers to consider whether reality might encompass more than what is visible or measurable by science. Through his case studies, Eire not only reconstructs a world where the supernatural was deeply intertwined with the natural but also prompts reflection on the enduring relevance of these questions in contemporary society.
They Flewis a thought-provoking examination of the tension between faith and reason, the seen and the unseen, and the ways in which human understanding of the impossible has evolved over time. Eire’s work challenges readers to reconsider the limits of reality and the role of the supernatural in shaping historical and modern worldviews.
Author : Carlos Eire
ISBN 10 : 0300280076
ISBN 13 : 9780300280074
Numbers of pages : 512
Publisher : Yale University Press
Publication date : January 7, 2025
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