History A-Level
The decline of witchcraft prosecutions
What The decline of witchcraft prosecutions means in History A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definition of The decline of witchcraft prosecutions
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Reference: Pearson Edexcel
Bekker's denial of the devil's physical power is a key development linking scepticism to the decline of witch prosecutions, alongside legal, social and economic factors.
Topics that use The decline of witchcraft prosecutions
- Paper 3, Option 33: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750 - 1 Changing attitudes to witchcraft in Britain (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Elite versus popular belief
- Judicial scepticism and the decline of prosecutions
- Scepticism and demonology
- The growth of rationalism and its limits
- The impact of notable cases on public opinion
- The role of fraud in undermining witchcraft accusations
- The role of print culture
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