Professor Debunks Common Myths

In his book, Demon Lovers: Witchcraft, Sex and the Crisis of Belief, Johns Hopkins Professor Walter Stephens takes a close look at the origin of stories of witches and demons, examining how 15th century theologians and others dealt with the phenomenon.

Stories of alleged witches' gruesome acts, says Stephens, comforted people whose faith in God was challenged by the evil in the world, including high rates of infant mortality, the plague, crop failure, wars and social instability.

In this short video, Stephens talks about the more common myths about witches and demons.

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To read more about Professor Stephens' work, read this Question and Answer session.