>Be that as it way, Charles and Jenny, especially
>Charles, are way, way too emotionally involved in a
>question that is of purely historical interest.
Chris, I'm not sure what that means, "purely historical interest." I actually think an interested search for truth is more likely to bear fruit than a disinterested one. For one thing, getting the best theory one can *matters* more (you're more motivated to dig at it) if you percieve that the phenomenon you're investigating impinges on your own life in some way. For example (leaving aside feminism), the question of whether witch-hunts in general, and the witch-craze in particular, are driven by the convenience and powerlessness of the scapegoat, or have a more specific cause, applies to a lot of things.
Jenny Brown