The Path of the Devil
Subtitle: Early Modern Witch Hunts
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Published: September 28, 2006
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 283
ISBN-13: 9780742546974
Subjects: Social history; Witchcraft; c 1500 to c 1600; New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit; Magick Studies; Body, Mind & Spirit; History - General History; New Age; Modern - General; Witchcraft & Wicca; Social Science / Discrimination & Race Relations; History
Description: "The Path of the Devil is organized around three fundamental theories: witch hunts as functional sacrificial ceremonies, realistic conflict and strategic persecution, and scapegoat phenomena. The book integrates the sociologies of collective behavior, contentious conflict, and deviance with cross-disciplinary theory and research. The final chapters examine the Salem witch trials as "a perfect storm" and illustrate the general patterns found for early modern witch hunts and "modern witch hunts," which exhibit similarities that are found to be more than metaphorical."--Jacket.