The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe

The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, now in its fourth edition, is the perfect resource for both students and scholars of the witch-hunts written by one of the leading names in the field. For those starting out in their studies of witch-beliefs and witchcraft trials, Brian Levack provides a concise survey of this complex and fascinating topic, while for more seasoned scholars the scholarship is brought right up to date. This new edition includes the most recent research on children, gender, male witches and demonic possession as well as broadening the exploration of the geographical distribution of witch prosecutions to include recent work on regions, cities and kingdoms enabling students to identify comparisons between countries. Now fully integrated with Brian Levack’s The Witchcraft Sourcebook, there are links to the sourcebook throughout the text, pointing students towards key primary sources to aid them in their studies. The two books are drawn together on a new companion website with supplementary materials for those wishing to advance their studies, including an extensive guide to further reading, a chronology of the history of witchcraft and an interactive map to show the geographical spread of witch-hunts and witch trials across Europe and North America. A long-standing favourite with students and lecturers alike, this new edition of The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe will be essential reading for those embarking on or looking to advance their studies of the history of witchcraft

List of illustrations, tables and map Preface to the fourth edition Preface to the third edition Preface to the second edition Preface to the first edition 1. Introduction 2. The intellectual foundations 3. The legal foundations 4. The impact of the Reformation5. The social context 6. The dynamics of witch-hunting 7. The chronology and geography of witch-hunting 8. The decline and end of witch-hunting 9. Witch-hunting after the trials Bibliography Index

Brian P. Levack is John E. Green Regents Professor in History, University of Texas at Austin. His publications include The Witchcraft Sourcebook (2004), Witch-Hunting in Scotland: Law, Politics and Religion (2008), The Devil Within: Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West (2013).