HIST 305 - The History of Magic & Witchcraft

4 credit(s)
This course deals with medieval and early European conceptions of and reactions to magic, sorcery, and witchcraft from pre-Christian Late Antiquity through the early modern period. The major themes of the course are (1) the development of ecclesiastical/intellectual notions of magic and heresy, (2) popular beliefs and practices regarding magic and witchcraft, (3) placing the great witch trials of the late medieval/early modern periods in an historical context of contemporary persecutions of various minorities, (4) explication of the “mature witchcraft theory” and the process of the witch trials.
Core Requirement(s): Counts toward core requirement: Historical Context.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above (60 or more completed credits).