Problems and Controversies: Concerning some Recent Publications on Magic in the Middle Ages and RenaissanceOne of the most difficult problems historians of magic have to deal with is the very definition of magic, so fuzzy and blurred that one may be tempted to oversimplify this complex field of research. Some recent studies and controversies concerning medieval and Renaissance magic exemplify the dangers of one-dimensional explanations. An essay written by the well-known historian of medieval philosophy, Alain de Libera, based on a radical opposition between magic and theology, has been strongly criticized by another historian of medieval philosophy, Paolo Lucentini. On the other hand, the renowned specialist of Renaissance magic, Paola Zambelli, insists appropriately (and often polemically) on 'the ambiguous nature of magic', but in the end she reduces this ambiguity to the trivial opposition between science and magic. It is argued that in these two cases, the weakness of the argumentation lies in the conviction that there is, or should be, a single "determining force" behind the rich and complex historical development of medieval and Renaissance magic.
KeywordsMagic; Libera, A. de; Lucentini, P.; Zambelli, P.Les recherches portant sur la magie, qu'elles soient historiques, anthropologiques ou autres, se trouvent confrontées à l'épineuse tâche d'avoir à définir leur objet, même lorsqu'elles ont pour cadre les cultures européennes -où le terme "magie" est clairement attesté, ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas dans d'autres aires culturelles -, et même lorsque les gens qui ont employé ce terme se sont donné la peine d'en fournir une définition. S'agissant d'un domaine aux contours incertains, faiblement théorisé, dont la compréhension exacte est ARIE 7,2_f5_207-225.indd 207 ARIE 7,2_f5_207-225.indd 207 6/25/