cover image Satan & Salem: The Witch-Hunt Crisis of 1692

Satan & Salem: The Witch-Hunt Crisis of 1692

Benjamin C. Ray. Univ. of Virginia, $29.95 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8139-3707-6

Ray, professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, explores the variety of possible causes of the horrific 1692 Salem witch trials. Each chapter is focused on a specific topic, providing deep and refreshing studies of people and aspects that aren't often given much attention; Ray looks at the role played by Thomas Putnam in launching the witch hunt, the trial and execution of Puritan minister George Burroughs, and the ways that geography influenced the spread of accusations. While deliberately refraining from making definitive claims, Ray seems to argue that pastor Samuel Parris's "inflammatory" fire-and-brimstone sermons and the general tone he set in the community most fueled the hunt, followed closely by the untraditional way the trials were conducted. The dry, academic writing will prevent this book from connecting with lay readers, but Ray's tracing of the influences of this fraught period of early American history is convincing and contributes much to the study of the subject. (Apr.)