ABSTRACT

The godly state could well be a witch-hunting state. This was especially so since the godly state was really a process rather than a static entity a process of striving after godliness, and of using state authority to enforce godliness. To many authorities, the extent of popular ungodliness seems to have been a new discovery. Godly states could take different routes to godliness, not all of which entailed prosecuting witches. There were many forms of ungodliness, and different states had different campaign priorities. The essence of the campaign for godly discipline was that all individuals were personally responsible for their salvation. Witch-hunting thus makes most sense when it is set in the context of a broader programme of godly discipline. There were several aspects to this programme. The regular criminal courts, those that could impose the death penalty for serious crimes, broadened their remit to include crimes against God as well as crimes against ordinary humans.