Horoscopes and Public Spheres: Essays on the History of Astrology (Religion and Society) (Religion and Society (de Gruyter))

This volume engages the specific role of horoscopic astrology in Western culture from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Focusing on the public appearance of astrological rhetoric, the essays break new ground for a better understanding of the function of horoscopes in public discourse. The volume's three parts engage the use of imperial horoscopes in late antiquity, the transformation of doctrines and rhetorics in Islamic medieval contexts, and the important status of astrology in early modern Europe. The combination of historical in-depth studies and methodological considerations results in an important contribution to religious and cultural studies.