Freethought and comparative demonology
Moncure Daniel Conway
1832 – 1907
Moncure Daniel Conway was a Virginia-born American minister, abolitionist, and freethinker who moved from Methodism through Unitarianism to a secular humanism influenced by Thomas Paine — whose biography he wrote — while leading London's South Place Chapel (now Conway Hall). His two-volume Demonology and Devil-Lore (1879) was a pioneering comparative study of demon mythology across world cultures, arguing that devil figures were anthropomorphic personifications of the obstacles and fears encountered by early humanity. This systematic cross-cultural survey provided Western esotericists and students of comparative religion with one of the most comprehensive Victorian treatments of demonic mythology available.
Archive Paths
Grimoires and Ceremonial Magic
Primary grimoire and ceremonial magic texts covering the Key of Solomon, Goetia, pentacles, Abramelin, spirit catalogues, seals, consecrations, and ritual practice.
Ceremonial Magic
Ritual magic texts focused on consecration, invocation, planetary and angelic operations, magical tools, and structured ceremonial practice.
Solomonic Magic
Solomonic magic texts, grimoires, spirit catalogues, angelic operations, seals, conjurations, and ritual procedures attributed to Solomon.
Demonology
Demonology texts covering spirit hierarchies, possession, exorcism, theological classification, grimoires, and early modern debates on magic.
Comparative Religion
Comparative religion texts on ritual, myth, sacrifice, belief, ancient religion, and cross-cultural theories of sacred practice.
Works in the Archive2 volumes
Related Authors
Ask the Hermetikon Archivist about Conway
The AI can search across all 2 works and retrieve direct quotations with page references.