Extended Commentary: Why Thinking with Witches Matters in the Twenty-First Century Classroom and Beyond

For many, the subject of witch-hunting in early modern Europe is an historical curiosity: interesting to certain audiences, perhaps, but not necessarily considered to be strictly relevant or useful for a modern university curriculum. This piece counters that position, arguing that the study of early modern beliefs in witches and witchcraft and of Europe’s witch-hunting centuries enriches students’ understanding both of a vital period in history and of their own world.