The Real History of Witches and Witch-Hunting

by Thomas A. Fudge

For centuries, the idea of witches living in our midst has enthralled us. How did this fascination develop? Why did it lead to the persecution of thousands of accused “witches”, most of them women? What does the history of witch hunts reveal about our identities and Western civilization at large?

Thomas Fudge, PhD, an expert on heresy and the Middle Ages, helps you explore these questions. Holding doctorates in both medieval history and theology, Prof. Fudge is the perfect guide for this audio course on witch-hunting. Under his tutelage, you will discover how a culture of paranoia developed, why those ideas appealed to men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries, and what effects linger even today. Throughout this 18-part series you will analyze primary sources to understand and contextualize the regulation, detection, and prosecution of alleged witchcraft.

By studying the medieval foundations for modern manifestations of witch-hunting - like McCarthyism - you will become more conscientious of the social dynamics of witch-hunts. As Prof. Fudge underscores, witches are a topic “used, misused, and abused.”

This course includes a free PDF study guide prepared by your professor and course producer.

Genres: History, Audiobook, Witches, Nonfiction

Audiobook

Published January 25, 2019

Reviews

[Anna Dalvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I think the subject is fascinating, and I thought that with the author's background in history and theology, we would cover a lot of interesting topics. But I found it rather cursory. I also really disliked the way he dismissed feminist studies and any link between the persecution of witches and the historical treatment of women. He goes to great length to point out that not all witches were women. While this is undoubtedly true, the fact remains that the vast majority of witches that were persecuted were women, and surely there is some significance to that.

[Ste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview of witch hunting in Europe (not America, so no Salem, nor non-Christian cultures), with some big, treacherous holes. He's unimpressed with feminist scholarship and generally downplays the role of gender in witch hunting, which does limit what he can say on that topic - he's definitely more interested in ways to handwave it away.

And I was surprised that there was no mention of anti-Jewish pogroms and the similarities to the witch hunts that followed - allegations that witches sacrificed children to Satan seem like a clear parallel to the blood libel, after all. At first, I thought there was just no space, but the last chapter contains a lengthy discursion about *accusations* of antisemitism being a form of modern witch hunt. I dunno, it's just very weird to discuss one of those topics at length and not the other.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an audiobook of a lecture series about witches and witch hunts. While this subject matter is interesting to me, considering that this was really a college class study, one could not expect it to be exciting and colorful.
It was technical and rather mechanical, but that was to be expected. I did find it comprehensive and really full of details. I found that I learned a good amount about witch hunts in Europe especially, and explanations to help understand more of the phenomenon.
Professor Fudge's voice was well suited for the audiobook, also expected since he gives the lecture to his students. I actually would like to hear more if he has anything else available.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snooooze… hypotheses suggested… snooooze…. no conclusions drawn… snooooooze… Whazza? Is it over?!
Wellllll… it DID make me wanna learn more… just not from Prof. Fudge…
My Full Review →

[Wynter Marie Midnight]

2.5 stars - DNF'd at 60%... was NOT for me.

[Anna Hansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and easy to follow, and a fascinating subject.

[Christian Loidl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really good once you get used to the lecturer, the last lecture especially should be something we all should listen too.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent concise account, very informative.