The Real History of Witches and Witch Hunts

Thomas A. Fudge is an expert on the medieval and reformation eras of Christianity. Holding two doctoral degrees, he earned his Ph.D. in medieval history from the University of Cambridge and his Ph.D. in theology from Otago University in New Zealand. He is the author of 15 books, including The Trial of Jan Hus: Medieval Heresy and Criminal Procedure, Heresy and Hussites in Late Medieval Europe, and Jerome of Prague and the Foundations of the Hussite Movement.Prof. Fudge has received teaching awards and commendations from Warner Pacific College, the University of Canterbury, and the University of New England. Over the past 27 years, he has held academic appointments in the United States and in New Zealand. He is currently a professor at the University of New England in Australia, where he teaches courses on witch-hunting, medieval Europe, and heresy.Praise for Thomas Fudge“Dr. Thomas Fudge is one of today’s most eminent scholars in the field of late medieval and early modern heresy. In witty, yet erudite fashion, Dr. Fudge directs the attention of his audience away from the standard historical narrative that focuses on influential persons, institutions, and ideas, and instead affords a wider vision of a medieval world in which a diversity of practices and beliefs flourished. Dr. Fudge brings to life the world of witches and their persecutors, locating them within the broader trends of the ways in which the “real” denizens of the Middle Ages, religious as well as lay, experienced and confronted the most troubling dimensions of existence, such as mortality and the uncertain pains and pleasures of the afterlife. His dramatic presentation will engage all who listen.”– Cary J. Nederman, Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M University“Professor Fudge is rightly regarded as one of the eminent scholars of late medieval religious heterodoxy, and has published extensively on Jan Hus and the nature of heresy. His work has helped to familiarize a generation with the controversies and turmoil of late medieval Europe.”– Stephen E. Lahey, Happold Professor of Religious Studies, Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Nebraska