Since the early 1990s there has been a tremendous upsurge in both popular interest and original writing on history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in the early modern period. This activity has shown just how complex the subject is. This text introduces readers to the current state of debate in 2001 and to future directions for investigation. It covers such fundamental topics as: witchcraft as an intellectual and theological problem; neighbourly tensions related to witchcraft accusations; the issue of witchcraft and gender; and the problem of the decline of witch persecution. The book is characterized throughout by a straightforward approach which guides the reader through the sometimes difficult details of this fascinating but misunderstood subject. The interpretative text is accompanied by a selection of documentary extracts, which allows the reader to get to grips with witchcraft as it was experienced in the past, and to understand how historians have constructed their interpretations of early modern witchcraft.

Author Biography

Jim Sharpe is Professor of History at the University of York. He has written widely on the history of witchcraft.