Religion has always played a key role in establishing the accepted views and beliefs of society. The church's enormous influence has caused many societal changes throughout history. Among them was the influence of the church during the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The church, striving for conformity, as it still does today, played a key role in enhancing the lengths to which the judicial system of the time would go in order to …showed first 75 words of 1245 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1245 total…scapegoat for its problems, rather than someone practicing witchcraft or who did not conform to the societal norms of the time. There were many reasons for the rise and fall in the accusations, trials and executions of witches. However the combination of politics, religious views and the flaws of the judicial system were among the largest. They were the basis for most accusations and executions for witchcraft as a result of the influences of religion.