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Artwork for The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Witch Hunts

Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack
Salem Witch Trials
Witchcraft
Witch Hunts
Witchcraft Accusations
Human Rights
Witch Trials
Rebecca Nurse
Albinism
Connecticut Witch Trials
Gender-Based Violence
Malleus Maleficarum
Social Justice
Gender Inequality
Dementia
Sarah Good
Martha Cory
Dorothy Good
Puritanism
Tituba
Ritual Attacks

Witch trials have shaped communities, claimed lives, and defined entire eras of history. The Thing About Witch Hunts investigates the real history behind witch hunts and modern witchcraft persecution worldwide, from the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the deadly witchcraft accusations devastating communities today. Hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack, each episode delivers essential context for... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes275Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for The Thing About Witch Hunts

Latest Episodes

Beverly, Bridget Bishop, John Hale, and Dorcas Hoar with Descendant Guide Roger Herson

We walk the landscapes of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials from the Beverly side of the bridge with longtime North Shore tour guide and 12th-generation local Roger Her... more

YouTube

Monstrous Bitch: 4,000 Years of Demonizing Women, From Lamashtu to Modern Horror

Medievalist and Columbia professor Dr. Eleanor Johnson joins us to trace the 4,000-year lineage behind her new book, Monstrous Bitch, connecting ancient Mesopotamian de... more

YouTube

The Craft at 30: Witchcraft, Teen Horror, and the Satanic Panic with Abby Brenker (Lunatics Project)

We welcome Abby Brenker of The Lunatics Project to dig into The Craft on its 30th anniversary, tracing why this 1996 teen witchcraft horror classic ... more

YouTube

Why Did Ann Putnam Jr. Accuse? Reconstructing the Salem Witch Trials Through Behavioral Science

We welcome back producer-director-writer Tom Phillips with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Hogan Sherrow to examine why 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. became... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Dr. Eleanor Johnson
Medievalist, author, professor at Columbia University
Columbia University
Episode: A History of Terrifying Women: Author Eleanor Johnson on Her New Book, Monstrous B*tch
Abby Brenker
Creator/Founder of Lunatics Project; filmmaker and podcaster
Lunatics Project
Episode: The Craft at 30 with Abby Brenker of the Lunatics Project
Tom Phillips
Television producer, director and writer
The Salem Aftermath project
Episode: Salem Aftermath: Applying Behavioral Studies to Ann Putnam Jr. with Dr. Hogan Sherrow & Tom Phillips
Hogan Sherrow
Evolutionary anthropologist
Yale University
Episode: Salem Aftermath: Applying Behavioral Studies to Ann Putnam Jr. with Dr. Hogan Sherrow & Tom Phillips
Sister Lorena Jenal
Swiss Franciscan sister of Divine Providence, long-time advocate in Papua New Guinea
Missio (Catholic aid organization)
Episode: World Day Against Witch Hunts: Missio in Papua New Guinea with Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak
Jörg Nowak
Journalist with Missio, in Germany
Missio
Episode: World Day Against Witch Hunts: Missio in Papua New Guinea with Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak
Claire Standen
Trauma resolution practitioner and founder of Reclamation
Reclamation (Scottish community interest organization)
Episode: Healing the Past: The Reclamation Project with Claire Standen
Marion Gibson
Emeritus Professor at Exeter University, historian of witch trials
University of Exeter
Episode: Witchland: Inside the Book with Professor Marion Gibson
Mark Stoyle
Professor of Early Modern History, University of Southampton
University of Southampton
Episode: The Witch Trial History of Exeter, England with Professor Mark Stoyle

Hosts

Josh Hutchinson
Host of The Thing About Witch Hunts.
Sarah Jack
Co-host introducing guests and guiding discussion.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Excellent Research

    Love this witchy pod and so will you. That is if you have an interest in the history of witchcraft executions then and now. Good job!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kimmy B 13
    United Statesa year ago
  • Needs polishing

    Great content, speech sounds halting, scripted, using some incorrect grammar and language which is confusing, I’m not sure if you need to do some more practicing speaking or if this is nervousness but the content and research is actually excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    pumpkin243
    United States2 years ago
  • Long neglected history

    Very good history lessons, I’ve learned many new things. Lest we forget, lest we repeat.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Tequila Priestess
    United States3 years ago
  • Thoughtful and dedicated to raising awareness about witch hunts, from both the past and present. A truth wealth of great information!

    Podchaser
    5
    gregory.houle
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A strong mix of academic insights and advocacy, useful for educational settings and sponsorships.
Excellent production and rigorous research, with compelling survivor stories.
Polished content but some episodes feel a bit dense for casual listeners.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Craft at 30 with Abby Brenker of the Lunatics Project
Q: Tell us who you are, what Lunatics Project does, your history in film, and your interest with the craft, the most iconic witchcraft film in 90s pop culture, and the one we're gonna cover today.
Abby Brenker introduces Lunatics Project as a passion project with her husband, discusses Lunatics Radio Hour, their focus on tracing horror tropes like witchcraft through history, and mentions Voices Carry as their latest feature, showcasing their interest in the history and representation of witchcraft in media.
Witches and Familiars with Dr. Holly Bamford
Q: Dr. Bamford, in the material that you sent to us, you talked also about a man named John Palmer, and he had a curious familiar I want to talk about because this one took a humanoid shape and was a woman called Jezebel. What makes her different, of course, from the animal familiars, and what was his relationship with her?
Palmer's Jezebel shaped familiar shows that familiars could be humanoid and function to threaten conjugal relationships, underscoring how the familiar embodies broader adult relationships and social anxieties about marriage and reproduction; this case also illustrates how male witches could enact a more intimate, yet troubling, bond with their familiar, challenging gendered stereotypes.
The Art and Folklore of Divination with Icy Sedgwick, author of Fate or Fortune
Q: Tell us about your work and expertise.
Icy discusses her background as a writer and researcher focused on folklore, with a specialism in divination, and explains how divination intersects with everyday life, history, and culture.
Devil, Witchcraft and English Demonology with Prof. Darren Oldridge
Q: What were the main demonologies needed to understand the learned conception of the devil in early modern England?
Key figures included William Perkins, who emphasized the demonic pact, and Joseph Glanville, who shifted focus toward proving the existence of spirits; these rival traditions shaped how demonology framed witchcraft prosecution up to and after the 1660s.
Devil, Witchcraft and English Demonology with Prof. Darren Oldridge
Q: Not witches first, but the devil first. How did educated English Protestants conceptualize witchcraft in relation to the devil?
Educated English Protestants tended to frame witchcraft as temptations or contracts with the devil, sometimes viewing the pact as the essential mechanism by which witchcraft operated, while ordinary folk worried more about tangible harms and natural explanations.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Thing About Witch Hunts

What is The Thing About Witch Hunts about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across episodes, the show illuminates the history of witch trials from Salem to global persecution, pairing scholarly context with survivor and advocate perspectives. Listeners get rigorous historical analysis, nuanced social dynamics, and contemporary activism—often highlighting intergenerational trauma, reparations, indigenous and women's voices, and ongoing efforts to end witch hunts worldwide. A notable strength is the curated mix of university-level historians, trauma-informed researchers, journalists, authors, and NGO advocates who connect archival history with modern human-rights campaigns, making complex topics accessible and actionable for curious history lovers and changemakers alike.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Thing About Witch Hunts?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Thing About Witch Hunts:

1. Witches of Scotland
2. The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials
3. We Can Do Hard Things
4. Back on the Broomstick: Old Witchcraft, New Path
5. This American Life

How many episodes of The Thing About Witch Hunts are there?

The Thing About Witch Hunts launched 4 years ago and published 275 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Thing About Witch Hunts?

Recent guests on The Thing About Witch Hunts include:

1. Dr. Eleanor Johnson
2. Abby Brenker
3. Tom Phillips
4. Hogan Sherrow
5. Sister Lorena Jenal
6. Jörg Nowak
7. Claire Standen
8. Marion Gibson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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