Bringing together the fields of Reformation and witchcraft studies, Gary K. Waite reveals how the early-modern period's religious conflicts led to widespread confusion and uncertainty, against which alleged diabolical conspiracies served to reaffirm orthodoxy. As with the vicious persecution of Anabaptists, witch-hunting was a means of restoring belief in the veracity of official teachings about the supernatural realm. Waite argues that it was only when the authorities came to terms with religious pluralism that there was a corresponding decline in witch panics.

This book introduces the reader to the history of European Christian pilgrimage in the twelve hundred years between the conversion of the Emperor Constantine and the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. It sheds light on the varied reasons for which men and women of all classes undertook journeys, which might be long (to Rome, Jerusalem and Compostela) or short (to innumerable local shrines). It also considers the geography of pilgrimage and its cultural legacy.

Recent books in the field have tended to dazzle the reader with the latest research. A lot is left unsaid, however, leaving dangerous holes for the newcomer. This clear textbook helps the reader to establish an idea of how the medieval world (from c.1200-1550) fitted together and how women fitted into that world, without neglecting recent work.