How did gender and the religious anxieties stimulated by the pursuit of the godly state combine to trigger witch panics?

How did gender and the religious anxieties stimulated by the pursuit of the godly state combine to trigger witch panics?  The majority of the individuals accused of witchcraft over the period 1550-1650 were women.  How and in what ways was this observable trend a reflection of the widespread Christian concern with godliness?  I am looking for students to do two things in this essay.  First, offer an assessment of Goodare’s argument in his chapter 9 (“Women, Men and Witchcraft”).  Second, validate their assessment with citations from at least four documents from Levack.

European Witch-Hunt, 1400-1750

Author: Goodare

Witchcraft Sourcebook

Author: Levack

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