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The article discusses the practice of witchcraft and beliefs in superstition and the First Commandment during the late Middle Ages. It tackles the development of the concept of diabolical witchcraft discussed in the 1988 article "Moral Arithmetic: Seven Deadly Sins Into Ten Commandments," by John Bossy, the treatment of idolatry as the primary Christian moral offense in the 16th century, and the changes brought by the adoption of Decalogue morality.

The article discusses the concepts of women, men, and love magic in late medieval English pastoral manuals. According to the author, historians working on ecclesiastical writing argue that many medieval churchmen viewed erotic magic as a female activity. The author adds that studies of the inquisition and witch trial records point out that women were more likely to be put on trial for using love magic than men.