The Witchcraft Reader 3rd Edition by Darren Oldridge ISBN 1351345230 9781351345231

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ISBN 10: 1351345230 
ISBN 13: 9781351345231
Author: Darren Oldridge

The Witchcraft Reader offers a wide range of historical perspectives on the subject of witchcraft in a single, accessible volume, exploring the enduring hold that it has on human imagination. The witch trials of the late Middle Ages and the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries have inspired a huge and expanding scholarly literature, as well as an outpouring of popular representations. This fully revised and enlarged third edition brings together many of the best and most important works in the field. It explores the origins of witchcraft prosecutions in learned and popular culture, fears of an imaginary witch cult, the role of religious division and ideas about the Devil, the gendering of suspects, the making of confessions and the decline of witch beliefs. An expanded final section explores the various “revivals” and images of witchcraft that continue to flourish in contemporary Western culture. Equipped with an extensive introduction that foregrounds significant debates and themes in the study of witchcraft, providing the extracts with a critical context, The Witchcraft Reader is essential reading for anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.

The Witchcraft Reader 3rd Table of contents:

Part I: Roots of Beliefs – Magic, Religion, and Society before the Hunts

Chapter 1: Ancient and Medieval Foundations of Magic and Maleficium

• Documents on Early Magic: Classical authors, Roman beliefs.
• Christianity and the Demonic: Early Church Fathers on diabolism and sorcery.
• Popular Beliefs and Folk Magic: Charms, curses, and village traditions.
• Early Legal Responses: Canon law and secular prohibitions against harmful magic.

Chapter 2: Heresy, Inquisitors, and the Origins of Diabolism

• The Development of Heresy Theory: Connecting magic with religious deviance.
• The Inquisition and Witchcraft: Early inquisitorial practices against sorcery.
• The Birth of the Demonic Pact: From simple magic to pacts with the Devil.
• Papal Bulls and Doctrinal Shifts: Summis desiderantes affectibus (1484) and its impact.

Part II: The Age of Persecution – The European Witch Hunts (c. 1450-1750)

Chapter 3: The Demonological Framework: Explaining the Witch

• The Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch’s Hammer): Excerpts on identifying, prosecuting, and torturing witches.
• Other Key Demonologies: Bodin, De Lancre, Cotta – constructing the learned theory of witchcraft.
• The Nature of the Demonic Pact: Detailed descriptions of pacts, sabbats, and maleficia.
• Gender and Demonology: Explanations for why women were perceived as more susceptible.

Chapter 4: The Witch Trial Process: Accusation, Interrogation, and Confession

• Initial Accusations: Village disputes, neighborly conflicts, and public rumor.
• Investigation and Arrest: Role of local authorities and magistrates.
• Interrogation Techniques: Torture and its role in extracting confessions.
• The Structure of a Trial: Evidence, testimony, and legal procedures.
• The Role of Confession: Its significance in conviction and narrative construction.

Chapter 5: Regional Variations and Case Studies of Witch Hunts

• Germany and the Holy Roman Empire: Large-scale hunts, specific examples (e.g., Bamberg, Würzburg).
• France and Lorraine: Unique aspects of French demonology and trials.
• Scotland: Intense persecution and its distinctive features.
• England and Wales: The “Swimming Test,” Matthew Hopkins, and the English approach.
• Scandinavia: Patterns of witchcraft accusations in the Nordic countries.
• The Salem Witch Trials (New England): Context, key testimonies, and the community’s response.

Chapter 6: Social, Economic, and Religious Contexts of the Hunts

• The Impact of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Religious zeal and anxieties.
• Economic Change and Social Stress: Poverty, famine, and community breakdown.
• Village Conflicts and Neighborhood Disputes: Micro-level dynamics of accusation.
• The Role of State-Building: Centralization of power and legal systems.
• The Impact of War and Disaster: Scapegoating and communal anxieties.

Chapter 7: Witchcraft and Gender: Women as Witches

• The Overwhelming Proportion of Female Accused: Statistical analysis and historical explanations.
• Midwifery, Healing, and Female Agency: The targeting of wise women.
• Stereotypes and Misogyny: Connecting witchcraft to broader gender roles and prejudices.
• Exceptions to the Rule: Male witches and their specific roles.

Part III: Decline, Disenchantment, and Reinterpretation

Chapter 8: The Decline of the Witch Hunts: Explanations and Turning Points

• Growing Skepticism Among the Elite: Intellectual and legal opposition.
• The Rise of Rationalism and the Enlightenment: Challenging supernatural explanations.
• Changing Legal Practices: Higher standards of proof, abolition of torture.
• Economic Recovery and Social Stabilization: Reduced communal tensions.
• The Last Executions: The final stages of the witch hunts in various regions.

Chapter 9: Post-Hunt Beliefs and Folklore

• Persistence of Folk Beliefs: Magic and superstition in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• The Witch as a Folkloric Figure: Transformation in popular narratives.
• Anthropological Perspectives: Functionalist and structuralist interpretations of witchcraft beliefs.
• The “Rural Witch” vs. the “Diabolical Witch.”

Chapter 10: Modern Interpretations: From Historiography to Contemporary Practice

• The Modern Historiography of Witchcraft: Key historians and their differing arguments (e.g., Trevor-Roper, Thomas, Levack, Ginzburg).
• Psychoanalytic and Psychological Approaches: Explaining the accusations and beliefs.
• The Emergence of Neopaganism and Wicca: Modern witchcraft movements and their relationship (or disrelationship) to historical practices.
• Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture: Literature, film, and popular imagination.

Conclusion: The Enduring Questions of Witchcraft

• Summarizing Key Themes and the Evolution of Witchcraft
• The Lessons Learned from Historical Persecution
• The Continued Relevance of Studying Witchcraft in the 21st Century

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