Religion and Magic and Christian Views on Magic Wikipedia pages

Magic and religion

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  (Redirected from Religion and magic)
Jump to: navigation, search




[hide]This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.




This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information.  (January 2013)




This article needs additional citations for verification.  (June 2010)



Magical thinking in various forms is a cultural universal and an important aspect of religion. Magic is prevalent in all societies, regardless of whether they have organized religion or more general systems of animism or shamanism. Religion and magic became conceptually separated with the development of western monotheism, where the distinction arose between supernatural events sanctioned by mainstream religious doctrine ("miracles") and mere magic rooted in folk belief or occult speculation. In pre-monotheistic religious traditions, there is no fundamental distinction between religious practice and magic; tutelary deities concerned with magic are sometimes called "hermetic deities" or "spirit guides."


Contents  [hide]
1 Magical practices in prehistory 1.1 Anthropological and psychological perspectives
2 Religious practices and magic 2.1 Names of the Gods
2.2 Religious artifacts
2.3 Sacrifice
3 Magic and Abrahamic religion
4 See also
5 References

Magical practices in prehistory[edit]
Main article: Prehistoric religion
Appearing from aboriginal tribes in Australia and New Zealand to rainforest tribes in South America, bush tribes in Africa and pagan tribal groups in Western Europe and Britain (as personified by Merlin, based on Welsh prophet Myrddin Wyllt), some form of shamanism and belief in a spirit world seems to be common in the early development of human communities. According to Joseph Campbell, the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux may have been associated with "the magic of the hunt."[1] Much of the Babylonian and Egyptian pictorial writing characters appear derived from the same sources.
Although indigenous magical traditions persist to this day, very early on some communities transitioned from nomadic to agricultural civilizations, and with this shift, the development of spiritual life mirrored that of civic life. Just as tribal elders were consolidated and transformed into monarchs and bureaucrats, so too did shamans and adepts evolve into a priestly caste.
This shift is not in naming alone. It is at this stage of development that highly codified and elaborate rituals, setting the stage for formal religions, began to emerge, such as the funeral rites of the Egyptians and the sacrifice rituals of the Babylonian, Persian, Aztec, and Maya civilizations.
Anthropological and psychological perspectives[edit]
Main articles: Magical thinking and Evolutionary origin of religion
It is a postulate of modern anthropology, at least since early 1930s, that there is complete continuity between magic and religion.[2][3] In the past, there have been many attempts by anthropologists to establish some fundamental distinction between magic and religion, most notably by James George Frazer and Bronisław Malinowski; they tried to demonstrate that "magical thinking" is a form of proto-science or pseudoscience rather than a form of religious practice, and that by this line of thought, early magical beliefs developed through a post-hoc fallacy — a supplication was made on the altar, and then it rained shortly afterward. Regardless of whether the supplication was the actual cause, it was credited with the change, and thus magical beliefs could grow.[citation needed]
One magician's response to this is that magic is unconcerned with establishing causality, only repeatability: Ramsey Dukes explains in his book S.S.O.T.B.M.E. that questions such as "Are you sure it was your magic that cured her?" are irrelevant to the magician. "If it was a coincidence, it doesn't matter just so long as he can bring about such coincidences"[4]
Religious practices and magic[edit]
Closely related to magic are most forms of religious supplication, asking the divine for aid. Perhaps the most famous form is prayer, which is ordained by many religions as a spiritual duty, even apart from any effects on the outside world.[improper synthesis?]
Both magic and religion contain rituals. Typically, there is a recognition that rituals do not always work; rather, it is thought to simply increase the likelihood of the desired result coming to pass[original research?]. While many rituals focus on personal communion with the divine and spiritual purification, others often seek "magical" favourable results, such as healing or good luck in battle.
Most cultures have or have had in their past some form of magical tradition that recognizes a shamanistic interconnectedness of spirit. This may have been long ago, as a folk tradition that died out with the establishment of a major world religion, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, or it may still co-exist with that world religion.[5]
Likewise, both can be divided by the effects they produce into perception and material changes. That is, whether prayer or some type of spell is used, it can either bring about an actual change (material) or a change in the way the subject feels (perception). The same prayer, for something to be "cooler" could therefore either actually raise the temperature, or simply alter the praying subject and any other targets feeling of the temperature. This is not to say that perception changes are not "real" as it could be used in healing to numb the sensation of pain, allowing healing to take place more easily.[original research?]
Names of the Gods[edit]
There is a long-standing belief in the power of "true names;" this often descends from the magical belief that knowing a being's true name grants power over it.[6] This is often seen[by whom?] as a requirement in spiritualism; knowing the identity of a spirit greatly aids in soliciting information from it.
If names have power, then knowing the name of a god regarded as supreme in a religion should grant the greatest power of all. This belief is reflected in traditional Wicca, where the names of the Goddess and the Horned God - the two supreme deities in Wicca - are usually held as a secret to be revealed only to initiates. This belief is also reflected in ancient Judaism, which used the Tetragrammaton (YHWH, usually translated as "Lord" in small caps) to refer to God "safely" in the Tanakh. The same belief is seen in Hinduism, but with different conclusions; rather, attaining transcendence and the power of God is seen as a good thing. Thus, some Hindus chant the name of their favorite deities as often as possible, the most common being Krishna.[7]
Religious artifacts[edit]
Some religions[which?] believe in transferring holiness to objects and places; this is often seen in even simple things like "christening" or launching ceremonies for a new boat. Churches and certain religiously-minded individuals often consecrate the ground where a building will be constructed.[citation needed]
The practice was common during the Middle Ages, where a large market for spiritual relics existed. Fragments of the true cross and bones of saints were often brought back by Crusaders from the Holy Land, where they were sold to the peasantry as cure-alls. Most scholarly sources agree that the vast majority of these sales were fraudulent and simply a form of supplementary income for the Crusaders.[citation needed] This practice somewhat fell into disrepute during the Reformation; it became associated with idol worship. As a result, this is less seen in Protestantism than Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy.[8]
Sacrifice[edit]
Main article: Sacrifice
One of the more controversial practices in magic and religion both, this involves a sacrifice to a supernatural being, such as a god, angel, or demon, who is asked to intervene on behalf of the person performing the sacrifice.
Sacrifice can take many forms. The most common forms of supplication and sacrifice in pagan and neopagan religious practice involves the burning of oils or incense. Other common forms of supplication may include the offering of personal objects to a deity, offering chants, and the offering of drinks and food. Less used is blood sacrifice. In early history, blood sacrifice was common; a goat or calf would be sacrificed. Often, divination would be practiced via reading the entrails (notably in Ancient Rome). Leviticus contains detailed rules for proper blood sacrifice, used in early Judaism. Blood sacrifice has been rejected by most neopagans. In hoodoo, blood ritual, or the giving of one's own blood in ritual practices, is not entirely uncommon. Most strands of modern Judaism believe that with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, there is no place to sacrifice to any more, and thus the need is negated; (modern Samaritans disagree, and maintain the practice). In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus's final sacrifice renders any further sacrifices unnecessary. Some syncretic blends of Islam and native practices in places such as Indonesia feature sacrifice as an element of worship.
The most extreme form of sacrifice, and the one carrying the most negative taboo, is human sacrifice. The moloch is one famous but disputed example of the practice; the Carthaginians seemingly sacrificed young children when circumstances looked grim, hoping to regain divine favor. Some historians attribute this to one reason for their downfall.[citation needed] Other cultures preferred to sacrifice only their enemies, offering up captured prisoners in supplication; the Druids became one of the two religions banned by the Roman Empire due to their practice of (Roman) human sacrifice.[7] The book Genesis contains the famous story of the Binding of Isaac; Abraham is ordered to sacrifice his son Isaac by God, but it turns out that God was only performing a test, and a ram is sent instead. Afterwards, human sacrifice is condemned. The Quran contains strong condemnations of the Arabian pagans who would sacrifice female babies by leaving them in pots in the desert to die of exposure, saying that such practice surely leads to hell.[citation needed]
Magic and Abrahamic religion[edit]
Magic and Abrahamic religions have had a somewhat checkered past. The King James Version of the Bible included the famous translation "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18),[9] and Saul is rebuked by God for seeking advice from a diviner who could contact spirits. On the other hand, seemingly magical signs are documented in the Bible: For example, both the staff of Pharaoh's sorcerers as well as the staff of Moses and Aaron could be turned into snakes (Exodus 7:8-13). However, as Scott Noegel points out, the critical difference between the magic of Pharaoh's magicians and the non-magic of Moses is in the means by which the staff becomes a snake. For the Pharaoh's magicians, they employed "their secret arts" whereas Moses merely throws down his staff to turn it into a snake. To an ancient Egyptian, the startling difference would have been that Moses neither employed secret arts nor magical words. In the Torah, Noegel points out that YHWH does not need magical rituals to act.[10]
See also Numbers 21:5-9, in which Moses creates a Bronze Snake in order to heal the Israelites from snake bites. But see the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 29a, which asserts that it was not the bronze serpent that healed the Israelites, but rather their seeing the snake and submitting themselves to God.
The words "witch" and "witchcraft" appear in some English versions of the Christian Holy Bible. One verse that is probably responsible for more deaths of suspected witches than any other passage from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is Exodus 22:18.[citation needed] In the King James Version, this reads: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." The precise meaning of the Hebrew word kashaph, here translated as 'witch' and in some other modern versions, 'sorceress', is uncertain. In the Septuagint it was translated as pharmakeia, meaning 'pharmacy', and on this basis, Reginald Scot claimed in the 16th century that 'witch' was an incorrect translation and poisoners were intended.[11] His theory still holds some currency, but is not widely accepted, and in Daniel 2:2 kashaph is listed alongside other magic practitioners who could interpret dreams: magicians, astrologers and Chaldeans. It may be noted that the Hebrew word kashaph is in the masculine, and in modern Hebrew usage, kashaph is synonymous with a male sorcerer.
The Judeo-Christian abhorrence of witches was not peculiar to them.[relevant? – discuss] The pagan Roman Empire and Babylonian Empire developed laws against malevolent witchcraft. The ancient Code of Hammurabi specifically called for death to witches, and also proscribed false accusations of witchcraft:

If a man has laid a charge of witchcraft and has not justified it, he upon whom the witchcraft is laid shall go to the holy river; he shall plunge into the holy river and if the holy river overcome him, he who accused him shall take to himself his house.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Religion portal
Animism
Anthropology of religion
Benedicaria (folk religious practice in Italy)
Christian mysticism
Contemporary witchcraft (neopagan witchcraft)
Esotericism
Evolutionary origin of religions
Folk religion
Kabbalah
Magic in the Greco-Roman world
Magical thinking
Myth and ritual
Prehistoric religion
Religion and mythology
Sufism (a variant of Islam)
Wicca (neopagan religious witchcraft)
Zionist Churches (African beliefs and Christianity)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Campbell, Joseph (1991). The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-019443-6.
2.Jump up ^ Cassirer, Ernst (1944) An Essay On Man, pt.II, ch.7 Myth and Religion, pp.122-3. Quotation:
It seems to be one of the postulates of modern anthropology that there is complete continuity between magic and religion. [note 35: See, for instance, RR Marett, Faith, Hope, and Charity in Primitive Religion, the Gifford Lectures (Macmillan, 1932), Lecture II, pp. 21 ff.] ... We have no empirical evidence at all that there ever was an age of magic that has been followed and superseded by an age of religion.
3.Jump up ^ Robert Ranulph Marett (1932) Faith, Hope and Charity in Primitive Religion, in Gifford Lectures. Lecture II Hope. Quotation:
In conclusion, a word must be said on a rather trite subject. Many leading anthropologists, including the author of The Golden Bough, would wholly or in the main refuse the title of religion to these almost inarticulate ceremonies of very humble folk. I am afraid, however, that I cannot follow them. Nay, I would not leave out a whole continent from a survey of the religions of mankind in order to humour the most distinguished of my friends. Now clearly if these observances are not to be regarded as religious, like a wedding in church, so neither can they be classed as civil, like its drab equivalent at a registry office. They are mysteries, and are therefore at least generically akin to religion. Moreover, they are held in the highest public esteem as of infinite worth whether in themselves or for their effects. To label them, then, with the opprobrious name of magic as if they were on a par with the mummeries that enable certain knaves to batten on the nerves of fools is quite unscientific; for it mixes up two things which the student of human culture must keep rigidly apart, namely, a normal development of the social life and one of its morbid by-products. Hence for me they belong to religion, but of course to rudimentary religion—to an early phase of the same world-wide institution that we know by that name among ourselves. I am bound to postulate the strictest continuity between these stages of what I have here undertaken to interpret as a natural growth.
4.Jump up ^ Ramsay Dukes, S.S.O.T.B.M.E. Revised, The Mouse That Spins, England, 2000 ISBN 0-904311-08-2, pp 22-23
5.Jump up ^ Magic and Religion
6.Jump up ^ Fischer, Ernst (1981). The Necessity of Art: A Marxist Approach. New York, NY: Penguin Books. p. 31.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Gonick, Larry. The Cartoon History of the Universe. Doubleday.
8.Jump up ^ Palmer, R. R.; Joel Colton (1995) [1950]. A History of the Modern World (Eighth Edition ed.). McGraw-Hill, Inc.
9.Jump up ^ King James Version of the Bible. 1611.
10.Jump up ^ http://faculty.washington.edu/snoegel/PDFs/articles/Noegel%2019%20-%20JANES%201996.pdf
11.Jump up ^ Scot, Reginald (c. 1580) The Discoverie of Witchcraft Booke VI Ch. 1.


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Magic and religion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Religion and magic)
Jump to: navigation, search




[hide]This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.




This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information.  (January 2013)




This article needs additional citations for verification.  (June 2010)



Magical thinking in various forms is a cultural universal and an important aspect of religion. Magic is prevalent in all societies, regardless of whether they have organized religion or more general systems of animism or shamanism. Religion and magic became conceptually separated with the development of western monotheism, where the distinction arose between supernatural events sanctioned by mainstream religious doctrine ("miracles") and mere magic rooted in folk belief or occult speculation. In pre-monotheistic religious traditions, there is no fundamental distinction between religious practice and magic; tutelary deities concerned with magic are sometimes called "hermetic deities" or "spirit guides."


Contents  [hide]
1 Magical practices in prehistory 1.1 Anthropological and psychological perspectives
2 Religious practices and magic 2.1 Names of the Gods
2.2 Religious artifacts
2.3 Sacrifice
3 Magic and Abrahamic religion
4 See also
5 References

Magical practices in prehistory[edit]
Main article: Prehistoric religion
Appearing from aboriginal tribes in Australia and New Zealand to rainforest tribes in South America, bush tribes in Africa and pagan tribal groups in Western Europe and Britain (as personified by Merlin, based on Welsh prophet Myrddin Wyllt), some form of shamanism and belief in a spirit world seems to be common in the early development of human communities. According to Joseph Campbell, the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux may have been associated with "the magic of the hunt."[1] Much of the Babylonian and Egyptian pictorial writing characters appear derived from the same sources.
Although indigenous magical traditions persist to this day, very early on some communities transitioned from nomadic to agricultural civilizations, and with this shift, the development of spiritual life mirrored that of civic life. Just as tribal elders were consolidated and transformed into monarchs and bureaucrats, so too did shamans and adepts evolve into a priestly caste.
This shift is not in naming alone. It is at this stage of development that highly codified and elaborate rituals, setting the stage for formal religions, began to emerge, such as the funeral rites of the Egyptians and the sacrifice rituals of the Babylonian, Persian, Aztec, and Maya civilizations.
Anthropological and psychological perspectives[edit]
Main articles: Magical thinking and Evolutionary origin of religion
It is a postulate of modern anthropology, at least since early 1930s, that there is complete continuity between magic and religion.[2][3] In the past, there have been many attempts by anthropologists to establish some fundamental distinction between magic and religion, most notably by James George Frazer and Bronisław Malinowski; they tried to demonstrate that "magical thinking" is a form of proto-science or pseudoscience rather than a form of religious practice, and that by this line of thought, early magical beliefs developed through a post-hoc fallacy — a supplication was made on the altar, and then it rained shortly afterward. Regardless of whether the supplication was the actual cause, it was credited with the change, and thus magical beliefs could grow.[citation needed]
One magician's response to this is that magic is unconcerned with establishing causality, only repeatability: Ramsey Dukes explains in his book S.S.O.T.B.M.E. that questions such as "Are you sure it was your magic that cured her?" are irrelevant to the magician. "If it was a coincidence, it doesn't matter just so long as he can bring about such coincidences"[4]
Religious practices and magic[edit]
Closely related to magic are most forms of religious supplication, asking the divine for aid. Perhaps the most famous form is prayer, which is ordained by many religions as a spiritual duty, even apart from any effects on the outside world.[improper synthesis?]
Both magic and religion contain rituals. Typically, there is a recognition that rituals do not always work; rather, it is thought to simply increase the likelihood of the desired result coming to pass[original research?]. While many rituals focus on personal communion with the divine and spiritual purification, others often seek "magical" favourable results, such as healing or good luck in battle.
Most cultures have or have had in their past some form of magical tradition that recognizes a shamanistic interconnectedness of spirit. This may have been long ago, as a folk tradition that died out with the establishment of a major world religion, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, or it may still co-exist with that world religion.[5]
Likewise, both can be divided by the effects they produce into perception and material changes. That is, whether prayer or some type of spell is used, it can either bring about an actual change (material) or a change in the way the subject feels (perception). The same prayer, for something to be "cooler" could therefore either actually raise the temperature, or simply alter the praying subject and any other targets feeling of the temperature. This is not to say that perception changes are not "real" as it could be used in healing to numb the sensation of pain, allowing healing to take place more easily.[original research?]
Names of the Gods[edit]
There is a long-standing belief in the power of "true names;" this often descends from the magical belief that knowing a being's true name grants power over it.[6] This is often seen[by whom?] as a requirement in spiritualism; knowing the identity of a spirit greatly aids in soliciting information from it.
If names have power, then knowing the name of a god regarded as supreme in a religion should grant the greatest power of all. This belief is reflected in traditional Wicca, where the names of the Goddess and the Horned God - the two supreme deities in Wicca - are usually held as a secret to be revealed only to initiates. This belief is also reflected in ancient Judaism, which used the Tetragrammaton (YHWH, usually translated as "Lord" in small caps) to refer to God "safely" in the Tanakh. The same belief is seen in Hinduism, but with different conclusions; rather, attaining transcendence and the power of God is seen as a good thing. Thus, some Hindus chant the name of their favorite deities as often as possible, the most common being Krishna.[7]
Religious artifacts[edit]
Some religions[which?] believe in transferring holiness to objects and places; this is often seen in even simple things like "christening" or launching ceremonies for a new boat. Churches and certain religiously-minded individuals often consecrate the ground where a building will be constructed.[citation needed]
The practice was common during the Middle Ages, where a large market for spiritual relics existed. Fragments of the true cross and bones of saints were often brought back by Crusaders from the Holy Land, where they were sold to the peasantry as cure-alls. Most scholarly sources agree that the vast majority of these sales were fraudulent and simply a form of supplementary income for the Crusaders.[citation needed] This practice somewhat fell into disrepute during the Reformation; it became associated with idol worship. As a result, this is less seen in Protestantism than Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy.[8]
Sacrifice[edit]
Main article: Sacrifice
One of the more controversial practices in magic and religion both, this involves a sacrifice to a supernatural being, such as a god, angel, or demon, who is asked to intervene on behalf of the person performing the sacrifice.
Sacrifice can take many forms. The most common forms of supplication and sacrifice in pagan and neopagan religious practice involves the burning of oils or incense. Other common forms of supplication may include the offering of personal objects to a deity, offering chants, and the offering of drinks and food. Less used is blood sacrifice. In early history, blood sacrifice was common; a goat or calf would be sacrificed. Often, divination would be practiced via reading the entrails (notably in Ancient Rome). Leviticus contains detailed rules for proper blood sacrifice, used in early Judaism. Blood sacrifice has been rejected by most neopagans. In hoodoo, blood ritual, or the giving of one's own blood in ritual practices, is not entirely uncommon. Most strands of modern Judaism believe that with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, there is no place to sacrifice to any more, and thus the need is negated; (modern Samaritans disagree, and maintain the practice). In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus's final sacrifice renders any further sacrifices unnecessary. Some syncretic blends of Islam and native practices in places such as Indonesia feature sacrifice as an element of worship.
The most extreme form of sacrifice, and the one carrying the most negative taboo, is human sacrifice. The moloch is one famous but disputed example of the practice; the Carthaginians seemingly sacrificed young children when circumstances looked grim, hoping to regain divine favor. Some historians attribute this to one reason for their downfall.[citation needed] Other cultures preferred to sacrifice only their enemies, offering up captured prisoners in supplication; the Druids became one of the two religions banned by the Roman Empire due to their practice of (Roman) human sacrifice.[7] The book Genesis contains the famous story of the Binding of Isaac; Abraham is ordered to sacrifice his son Isaac by God, but it turns out that God was only performing a test, and a ram is sent instead. Afterwards, human sacrifice is condemned. The Quran contains strong condemnations of the Arabian pagans who would sacrifice female babies by leaving them in pots in the desert to die of exposure, saying that such practice surely leads to hell.[citation needed]
Magic and Abrahamic religion[edit]
Magic and Abrahamic religions have had a somewhat checkered past. The King James Version of the Bible included the famous translation "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18),[9] and Saul is rebuked by God for seeking advice from a diviner who could contact spirits. On the other hand, seemingly magical signs are documented in the Bible: For example, both the staff of Pharaoh's sorcerers as well as the staff of Moses and Aaron could be turned into snakes (Exodus 7:8-13). However, as Scott Noegel points out, the critical difference between the magic of Pharaoh's magicians and the non-magic of Moses is in the means by which the staff becomes a snake. For the Pharaoh's magicians, they employed "their secret arts" whereas Moses merely throws down his staff to turn it into a snake. To an ancient Egyptian, the startling difference would have been that Moses neither employed secret arts nor magical words. In the Torah, Noegel points out that YHWH does not need magical rituals to act.[10]
See also Numbers 21:5-9, in which Moses creates a Bronze Snake in order to heal the Israelites from snake bites. But see the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 29a, which asserts that it was not the bronze serpent that healed the Israelites, but rather their seeing the snake and submitting themselves to God.
The words "witch" and "witchcraft" appear in some English versions of the Christian Holy Bible. One verse that is probably responsible for more deaths of suspected witches than any other passage from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is Exodus 22:18.[citation needed] In the King James Version, this reads: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." The precise meaning of the Hebrew word kashaph, here translated as 'witch' and in some other modern versions, 'sorceress', is uncertain. In the Septuagint it was translated as pharmakeia, meaning 'pharmacy', and on this basis, Reginald Scot claimed in the 16th century that 'witch' was an incorrect translation and poisoners were intended.[11] His theory still holds some currency, but is not widely accepted, and in Daniel 2:2 kashaph is listed alongside other magic practitioners who could interpret dreams: magicians, astrologers and Chaldeans. It may be noted that the Hebrew word kashaph is in the masculine, and in modern Hebrew usage, kashaph is synonymous with a male sorcerer.
The Judeo-Christian abhorrence of witches was not peculiar to them.[relevant? – discuss] The pagan Roman Empire and Babylonian Empire developed laws against malevolent witchcraft. The ancient Code of Hammurabi specifically called for death to witches, and also proscribed false accusations of witchcraft:

If a man has laid a charge of witchcraft and has not justified it, he upon whom the witchcraft is laid shall go to the holy river; he shall plunge into the holy river and if the holy river overcome him, he who accused him shall take to himself his house.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Religion portal
Animism
Anthropology of religion
Benedicaria (folk religious practice in Italy)
Christian mysticism
Contemporary witchcraft (neopagan witchcraft)
Esotericism
Evolutionary origin of religions
Folk religion
Kabbalah
Magic in the Greco-Roman world
Magical thinking
Myth and ritual
Prehistoric religion
Religion and mythology
Sufism (a variant of Islam)
Wicca (neopagan religious witchcraft)
Zionist Churches (African beliefs and Christianity)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Campbell, Joseph (1991). The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-019443-6.
2.Jump up ^ Cassirer, Ernst (1944) An Essay On Man, pt.II, ch.7 Myth and Religion, pp.122-3. Quotation:
It seems to be one of the postulates of modern anthropology that there is complete continuity between magic and religion. [note 35: See, for instance, RR Marett, Faith, Hope, and Charity in Primitive Religion, the Gifford Lectures (Macmillan, 1932), Lecture II, pp. 21 ff.] ... We have no empirical evidence at all that there ever was an age of magic that has been followed and superseded by an age of religion.
3.Jump up ^ Robert Ranulph Marett (1932) Faith, Hope and Charity in Primitive Religion, in Gifford Lectures. Lecture II Hope. Quotation:
In conclusion, a word must be said on a rather trite subject. Many leading anthropologists, including the author of The Golden Bough, would wholly or in the main refuse the title of religion to these almost inarticulate ceremonies of very humble folk. I am afraid, however, that I cannot follow them. Nay, I would not leave out a whole continent from a survey of the religions of mankind in order to humour the most distinguished of my friends. Now clearly if these observances are not to be regarded as religious, like a wedding in church, so neither can they be classed as civil, like its drab equivalent at a registry office. They are mysteries, and are therefore at least generically akin to religion. Moreover, they are held in the highest public esteem as of infinite worth whether in themselves or for their effects. To label them, then, with the opprobrious name of magic as if they were on a par with the mummeries that enable certain knaves to batten on the nerves of fools is quite unscientific; for it mixes up two things which the student of human culture must keep rigidly apart, namely, a normal development of the social life and one of its morbid by-products. Hence for me they belong to religion, but of course to rudimentary religion—to an early phase of the same world-wide institution that we know by that name among ourselves. I am bound to postulate the strictest continuity between these stages of what I have here undertaken to interpret as a natural growth.
4.Jump up ^ Ramsay Dukes, S.S.O.T.B.M.E. Revised, The Mouse That Spins, England, 2000 ISBN 0-904311-08-2, pp 22-23
5.Jump up ^ Magic and Religion
6.Jump up ^ Fischer, Ernst (1981). The Necessity of Art: A Marxist Approach. New York, NY: Penguin Books. p. 31.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Gonick, Larry. The Cartoon History of the Universe. Doubleday.
8.Jump up ^ Palmer, R. R.; Joel Colton (1995) [1950]. A History of the Modern World (Eighth Edition ed.). McGraw-Hill, Inc.
9.Jump up ^ King James Version of the Bible. 1611.
10.Jump up ^ http://faculty.washington.edu/snoegel/PDFs/articles/Noegel%2019%20-%20JANES%201996.pdf
11.Jump up ^ Scot, Reginald (c. 1580) The Discoverie of Witchcraft Booke VI Ch. 1.


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Paganism (Historical and Modern)














































































































  


Categories: Anthropology of religion
Magic (paranormal)
Magical thinking
Religious behaviour and experience


















Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
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Christian views on magic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search



 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2007)


 This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (November 2011)
Christian views on magic vary widely among denominations and among individuals. Some Christians actively condemn any form of magic as satanic, while others simply dismiss it as superstition. Conversely, some branches of esoteric Christianity actively engage in magical practices.


Contents  [hide]
1 Biblical references
2 Early Christianity
3 Medieval views 3.1 Martin Luther
4 Modern views 4.1 Christian opposition to witchcraft
4.2 Magic in literature as harmless
5 Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft
6 See also
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 External links

Biblical references[edit]
Main article: Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew Bible
There are several references to witchcraft in the Bible that strongly condemn such practices. For example, Deuteronomy 18:11-12 condemns anyone who "..casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you", and Exodus 22:18 states "Do not allow a sorceress to live".
Some adherents of near-east religions acted as mediums, channeling messages from the dead or from a familiar spirit. The Bible sometimes is translated as referring to "necromancer" and "necromancy" (Deuteronomy 18:11) However, some lexicographers, including James Strong and Spiros Zodhiates, disagree. These scholars say that the Hebrew word kashaph, used in Exodus 22:18 and 5 other places in the Tanakh comes from a root meaning "to whisper". Strong therefore concludes that the word means "to whisper a spell, i.e. to incant or practice magic". The Contemporary English Version translates Deuteronomy 18:11 as referring to "any kind of magic".
Early Christianity[edit]
See also: Early Christianity
Leviticus and Deuteronomy prohibit certain kinds of magic, specifically divination, seeking omens, mediums who commune with the dead, and spell-casters.[1] These acts, as well as other rituals related to Ba'al worship and Canaanite religion,[2] were specifically forbidden to the Israelites. Christianity emerged from Second Temple, Palestinian Judaism, venerating the Tanakh (in Greek Septuagint and, later, Latin Vulgate translations) as a collection of divinely inspired, old covenant writings prefiguring the new covenant of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Galatians includes sorcery in a list of "works of the flesh".[3] This disapproval is echoed in the Didache,[4] a very early book of church discipline which dates from the mid-late first century.[5]
Medieval views[edit]
See also: Witch trials in the Early Modern period
[icon] This section requires expansion with: Aquinas et al. on magic. (February 2010)
During the Early Middle Ages, the Christian Churches did not conduct witch trials.[6] The Germanic Council of Paderborn in 785 explicitly outlawed the very belief in witches, and the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne later confirmed the law. Among Orthodox Eastern Christians concentrated in the Byzantine Empire, belief in witchcraft was widely regarded as deisidaimonia—superstition—and by the 9th and 10th centuries in the Latin Christian West, belief in witchcraft had begun to be seen as heresy.
However, towards the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern period, belief in witchcraft became sanctioned by the Western Church,[citation needed] and witches were seen as directly in league with the Devil. This marked the beginning of a period of witch hunts among both Roman Catholics and early Protestants which lasted about 200 years, and in some countries, particularly in North-Western Europe, thousands of people were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death[citation needed].
The Catholic Inquisition had conducted trials against supposed witches in the 13th century, but these trials were to punish heresy, of which belief in witchcraft was merely one variety.[6] Inquisitorial courts only became systematically involved in the witch-hunt during the 15th century: in the case of the Madonna Oriente, the Inquisition of Milan was not sure what to do with two women who in 1384 and in 1390 confessed to have participated in a type of white magic.
Not all Inquisitorial courts acknowledged witchcraft. For example, in 1610 as the result of a witch hunting craze the Suprema (the ruling council of the Spanish Inquisition) gave everybody an Edict of Grace (during which confessing witches were not to be punished) and put the only dissenting inquisitor, Alonso de Salazar Frías, in charge of the subsequent investigation. The results of Salazar's investigation was that the Spanish Inquisition did not bother witches ever again though they still went after heretics and Jews.[7]
Martin Luther[edit]
Martin Luther shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time.[8] When interpreting Exodus 22:18,[9] he stated that, with the help of the devil, witches could steal milk merely by thinking of a cow.[10] In his Small Catechism he taught that witchcraft was a sin against the second commandment[11] and prescribed the Biblical penalty for it in a "table talk":

On 25 August 1538 there was much discussion about witches and sorceresses who poisoned chicken eggs in the nests, or poisoned milk and butter. Doctor Luther said: "One should show no mercy to these [women]; I would burn them myself, for we read in the Law that the priests were the ones to begin the stoning of criminals."[12]
Modern views[edit]
During the Age of Enlightenment, belief in the powers of witches and sorcerers to harm began to die out in the West. But the reasons for disbelief differed from those of early Christians. For the early Christians the reason was theological—that Christ had already defeated the powers of evil. For the post-Enlightenment Christians, the disbelief was based on a belief in rationalism and empiricism.
It was at this time, however, that Western Christianity began expanding to parts of Africa and Asia where premodern worldviews still held sway, and where belief in the power of witches and sorcerers to harm was, if anything, stronger than it had been in Northern Europe. Many African Independent Churches developed their own responses to witchcraft and sorcery.[13]
The situation was further complicated by the rise of new religious movements that considered witchcraft to be a religion. This view does not claim that witches actually consciously enter into a pact with Satan because most practitioners of Wicca and other modern witchcraft do not even believe in Satan.[13][14]
Christian opposition to witchcraft[edit]
Several Christian groups continue to believe in witchcraft and view it as a negative force. Much of the criticism originates among Evangelical Christian groups, especially those of a fundamentalist tendency, who believe that witchcraft is a danger to children. The 2006 documentary Jesus Camp, which depicts the life of young children attending Becky Fischer's summer camp, shows Fischer condemning the Harry Potter novels and telling the students that "Warlocks are enemies of God" (see also Religious debates over the Harry Potter series). While Fischer's summer camp has sometimes been incorrectly identified as Pentecostal, Fischer is most closely associated with the neo-Pentecostal movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation. NAR prophet Lou Engle, who serves in the NAR apostolic group The Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, makes an extended appearance in Jesus Camp.
Among Christian tendencies, the NAR is especially aggressive in efforts to counter alleged acts of witchcraft; the NAR's globally distributed "Transformations" pseudo-documentaries by filmmaker George Otis, Jr. show charismatic Christians creating mini-utopias by driving off "territorial spirits" and by banishing or even killing accused witches. During the 2008 United States presidential eating contest, footage surfaced from a 2005 church ceremony in which an NAR apostle, Kenyan bishop Thomas Muthee, called upon God to protect Sarah Palin, as Muthee laid hands on Palin, from "every form of witchcraft".
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI denounced belief in witchcraft during a visit to Angola.[15]
Modern Christian views vary as to whether witchcraft is a general term for communion with evil, or a specific form of religious system and practice. Christians can espouse the idea that Satan and evil are real, while condemning accusations of witchcraft found throughout history as dubious.
Magic in literature as harmless[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2011)
Magic in literature, while condemned by some Christians, is often viewed by Christians as non-evil. The key distinction would be between real-life magic and pretend magic. This view holds that in real life, practice of supernatural abilities (i.e. magic) must have a supernatural power source or origin, which would be either holy or evil. Thus born of Holy Spirit or of demons. (See Spiritual gift and Christian demonology for details on these teachings.) Thus, magic in the Biblical context would be viewed as only an act of evil, whereas in literature, magic is a tool available to conduct both good and bad behavior. Thus, pretend magic is moral neutral.
In literature, magical abilities have many different power sources. Technological ability (science) can appear as magic.[16] Often, wielding magic is accomplished by imposing one's will by concentration and/or use of devices to control an external magical force. This explanation is offered for the Force (Star Wars), magic in Dungeons and Dragons, and magic in The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. The latter two works are by notable Christians, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, respectively. In the first chronological book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew, Lewis specifically explains that magic is a power available on other worlds, not on earth. The Empress Jadis (later, the White Witch) was tempted to use magic for selfish reasons to retain control of her world Charn, which ultimately lead to the destruction of life there.
Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft[edit]
See also: Christianity and Neopaganism
From 15th to 19th century, many Hermeticists combined Christianity with occult practices (mostly alchemy). Another notable example of syncretism is Santería, a syncretic hybrid of African animism and Christianity. There are also those who practice a combination of Neopagan/Wiccan and Christian beliefs. Other modern syncretic traditions include mesoamerican folk healing traditions, such as the curandisimo practices found in Mexico, and Andean folk healing traditions of Peru and Bolivia.
See also[edit]
Thomas Ady
Anton Praetorius
Benedicaria
Christianity and Paganism
Esotericism
Folk Christianity
Magic and religion
Malleus Maleficarum
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Leviticus 19:26, 19:31, 20:6, 20:27, Deuteronomy 18:9-13
2.Jump up ^ How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Fee & Stuart. 3rd ed. 2003. p178,9
3.Jump up ^ Galatians 5:19-21
4.Jump up ^ Apostles didachē (1884). Teaching of the twelve Apostles, tr. from the 'editio princeps' of Bryennios, by A. Gordon (ORIGINAL FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY). p. 7. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
5.Jump up ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3): Didache
6.^ Jump up to: a b Cohn, Norman: "Europe's Inner Demons: The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom." London: Sussex University Press, 1975
7.Jump up ^ 1978 "A witch with three toes too many"; Out of this World Encyclopedia 23:9-12
8.Jump up ^ Karant-Nunn, Susan C.; Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. (2003). Luther on Women: A Sourcebook. Cambridge: Cambridge U. Press. p. 228.
9.Jump up ^ Exodus 22:18
10.Jump up ^ Sermon on Exodus, 1526, WA 16, 551 f.
11.Jump up ^ Martin Luther, Luther's Little Instruction Book, Trans. Robert E. Smith, (Fort Wayne: Project Wittenberg, 2004), Small Catechism 1.2.
12.Jump up ^ WA Tr 4:51–52, no. 3979 quoted and translated in Karant-Nunn, 236. The original Latin and German text is: "25, Augusti multa dicebant de veneficis et incantatricibus, quae ova ex gallinis et lac et butyrum furarentur. Respondit Lutherus: Cum illis nulla habenda est misericordia. Ich wolte sie selber verprennen, more legis, ubi sacerdotes reos lapidare incipiebant.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Hayes, Stephen. 1995. Christian responses to witchcraft and sorcery, in Missionalia, Vol. 23(3) November. Pages 339-354. [1]
14.Jump up ^ U.S. Department of the Army, "Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains": "It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in "Satan", "the Devil", or any similar entities."
15.Jump up ^ "Pope warns Angola of witchcraft". BBC. March 21, 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
16.Jump up ^ Arthur C. Clarke. "Profiles of The Future", 1961 (Clarke's third law)
Bibliography[edit]
Cohn, Norman (1975). Europe's inner demons. London: Sussex University Press. ISBN 0-435-82183-0.
Fox, Robin Lane (1987). Pagans and Christians. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-55495-7.
Hutton, Ronald (1991). Pagan religions of the ancient British Isles. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-17288-2.
Williams, Charles (1959). Witchcraft. New York: Meridian.
External links[edit]
Catholic Encyclopedia "Occult Art, Occultism"
Catholic Encyclopedia "Witchcraft"
  


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Witchcraft
Christianity and Paganism
Magic (paranormal)













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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_magic

















Christian views on magic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search



 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2007)


 This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (November 2011)
Christian views on magic vary widely among denominations and among individuals. Some Christians actively condemn any form of magic as satanic, while others simply dismiss it as superstition. Conversely, some branches of esoteric Christianity actively engage in magical practices.


Contents  [hide]
1 Biblical references
2 Early Christianity
3 Medieval views 3.1 Martin Luther
4 Modern views 4.1 Christian opposition to witchcraft
4.2 Magic in literature as harmless
5 Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft
6 See also
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 External links

Biblical references[edit]
Main article: Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew Bible
There are several references to witchcraft in the Bible that strongly condemn such practices. For example, Deuteronomy 18:11-12 condemns anyone who "..casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you", and Exodus 22:18 states "Do not allow a sorceress to live".
Some adherents of near-east religions acted as mediums, channeling messages from the dead or from a familiar spirit. The Bible sometimes is translated as referring to "necromancer" and "necromancy" (Deuteronomy 18:11) However, some lexicographers, including James Strong and Spiros Zodhiates, disagree. These scholars say that the Hebrew word kashaph, used in Exodus 22:18 and 5 other places in the Tanakh comes from a root meaning "to whisper". Strong therefore concludes that the word means "to whisper a spell, i.e. to incant or practice magic". The Contemporary English Version translates Deuteronomy 18:11 as referring to "any kind of magic".
Early Christianity[edit]
See also: Early Christianity
Leviticus and Deuteronomy prohibit certain kinds of magic, specifically divination, seeking omens, mediums who commune with the dead, and spell-casters.[1] These acts, as well as other rituals related to Ba'al worship and Canaanite religion,[2] were specifically forbidden to the Israelites. Christianity emerged from Second Temple, Palestinian Judaism, venerating the Tanakh (in Greek Septuagint and, later, Latin Vulgate translations) as a collection of divinely inspired, old covenant writings prefiguring the new covenant of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Galatians includes sorcery in a list of "works of the flesh".[3] This disapproval is echoed in the Didache,[4] a very early book of church discipline which dates from the mid-late first century.[5]
Medieval views[edit]
See also: Witch trials in the Early Modern period
[icon] This section requires expansion with: Aquinas et al. on magic. (February 2010)
During the Early Middle Ages, the Christian Churches did not conduct witch trials.[6] The Germanic Council of Paderborn in 785 explicitly outlawed the very belief in witches, and the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne later confirmed the law. Among Orthodox Eastern Christians concentrated in the Byzantine Empire, belief in witchcraft was widely regarded as deisidaimonia—superstition—and by the 9th and 10th centuries in the Latin Christian West, belief in witchcraft had begun to be seen as heresy.
However, towards the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern period, belief in witchcraft became sanctioned by the Western Church,[citation needed] and witches were seen as directly in league with the Devil. This marked the beginning of a period of witch hunts among both Roman Catholics and early Protestants which lasted about 200 years, and in some countries, particularly in North-Western Europe, thousands of people were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death[citation needed].
The Catholic Inquisition had conducted trials against supposed witches in the 13th century, but these trials were to punish heresy, of which belief in witchcraft was merely one variety.[6] Inquisitorial courts only became systematically involved in the witch-hunt during the 15th century: in the case of the Madonna Oriente, the Inquisition of Milan was not sure what to do with two women who in 1384 and in 1390 confessed to have participated in a type of white magic.
Not all Inquisitorial courts acknowledged witchcraft. For example, in 1610 as the result of a witch hunting craze the Suprema (the ruling council of the Spanish Inquisition) gave everybody an Edict of Grace (during which confessing witches were not to be punished) and put the only dissenting inquisitor, Alonso de Salazar Frías, in charge of the subsequent investigation. The results of Salazar's investigation was that the Spanish Inquisition did not bother witches ever again though they still went after heretics and Jews.[7]
Martin Luther[edit]
Martin Luther shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time.[8] When interpreting Exodus 22:18,[9] he stated that, with the help of the devil, witches could steal milk merely by thinking of a cow.[10] In his Small Catechism he taught that witchcraft was a sin against the second commandment[11] and prescribed the Biblical penalty for it in a "table talk":

On 25 August 1538 there was much discussion about witches and sorceresses who poisoned chicken eggs in the nests, or poisoned milk and butter. Doctor Luther said: "One should show no mercy to these [women]; I would burn them myself, for we read in the Law that the priests were the ones to begin the stoning of criminals."[12]
Modern views[edit]
During the Age of Enlightenment, belief in the powers of witches and sorcerers to harm began to die out in the West. But the reasons for disbelief differed from those of early Christians. For the early Christians the reason was theological—that Christ had already defeated the powers of evil. For the post-Enlightenment Christians, the disbelief was based on a belief in rationalism and empiricism.
It was at this time, however, that Western Christianity began expanding to parts of Africa and Asia where premodern worldviews still held sway, and where belief in the power of witches and sorcerers to harm was, if anything, stronger than it had been in Northern Europe. Many African Independent Churches developed their own responses to witchcraft and sorcery.[13]
The situation was further complicated by the rise of new religious movements that considered witchcraft to be a religion. This view does not claim that witches actually consciously enter into a pact with Satan because most practitioners of Wicca and other modern witchcraft do not even believe in Satan.[13][14]
Christian opposition to witchcraft[edit]
Several Christian groups continue to believe in witchcraft and view it as a negative force. Much of the criticism originates among Evangelical Christian groups, especially those of a fundamentalist tendency, who believe that witchcraft is a danger to children. The 2006 documentary Jesus Camp, which depicts the life of young children attending Becky Fischer's summer camp, shows Fischer condemning the Harry Potter novels and telling the students that "Warlocks are enemies of God" (see also Religious debates over the Harry Potter series). While Fischer's summer camp has sometimes been incorrectly identified as Pentecostal, Fischer is most closely associated with the neo-Pentecostal movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation. NAR prophet Lou Engle, who serves in the NAR apostolic group The Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, makes an extended appearance in Jesus Camp.
Among Christian tendencies, the NAR is especially aggressive in efforts to counter alleged acts of witchcraft; the NAR's globally distributed "Transformations" pseudo-documentaries by filmmaker George Otis, Jr. show charismatic Christians creating mini-utopias by driving off "territorial spirits" and by banishing or even killing accused witches. During the 2008 United States presidential eating contest, footage surfaced from a 2005 church ceremony in which an NAR apostle, Kenyan bishop Thomas Muthee, called upon God to protect Sarah Palin, as Muthee laid hands on Palin, from "every form of witchcraft".
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI denounced belief in witchcraft during a visit to Angola.[15]
Modern Christian views vary as to whether witchcraft is a general term for communion with evil, or a specific form of religious system and practice. Christians can espouse the idea that Satan and evil are real, while condemning accusations of witchcraft found throughout history as dubious.
Magic in literature as harmless[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2011)
Magic in literature, while condemned by some Christians, is often viewed by Christians as non-evil. The key distinction would be between real-life magic and pretend magic. This view holds that in real life, practice of supernatural abilities (i.e. magic) must have a supernatural power source or origin, which would be either holy or evil. Thus born of Holy Spirit or of demons. (See Spiritual gift and Christian demonology for details on these teachings.) Thus, magic in the Biblical context would be viewed as only an act of evil, whereas in literature, magic is a tool available to conduct both good and bad behavior. Thus, pretend magic is moral neutral.
In literature, magical abilities have many different power sources. Technological ability (science) can appear as magic.[16] Often, wielding magic is accomplished by imposing one's will by concentration and/or use of devices to control an external magical force. This explanation is offered for the Force (Star Wars), magic in Dungeons and Dragons, and magic in The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. The latter two works are by notable Christians, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, respectively. In the first chronological book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew, Lewis specifically explains that magic is a power available on other worlds, not on earth. The Empress Jadis (later, the White Witch) was tempted to use magic for selfish reasons to retain control of her world Charn, which ultimately lead to the destruction of life there.
Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft[edit]
See also: Christianity and Neopaganism
From 15th to 19th century, many Hermeticists combined Christianity with occult practices (mostly alchemy). Another notable example of syncretism is Santería, a syncretic hybrid of African animism and Christianity. There are also those who practice a combination of Neopagan/Wiccan and Christian beliefs. Other modern syncretic traditions include mesoamerican folk healing traditions, such as the curandisimo practices found in Mexico, and Andean folk healing traditions of Peru and Bolivia.
See also[edit]
Thomas Ady
Anton Praetorius
Benedicaria
Christianity and Paganism
Esotericism
Folk Christianity
Magic and religion
Malleus Maleficarum
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Leviticus 19:26, 19:31, 20:6, 20:27, Deuteronomy 18:9-13
2.Jump up ^ How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Fee & Stuart. 3rd ed. 2003. p178,9
3.Jump up ^ Galatians 5:19-21
4.Jump up ^ Apostles didachē (1884). Teaching of the twelve Apostles, tr. from the 'editio princeps' of Bryennios, by A. Gordon (ORIGINAL FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY). p. 7. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
5.Jump up ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3): Didache
6.^ Jump up to: a b Cohn, Norman: "Europe's Inner Demons: The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom." London: Sussex University Press, 1975
7.Jump up ^ 1978 "A witch with three toes too many"; Out of this World Encyclopedia 23:9-12
8.Jump up ^ Karant-Nunn, Susan C.; Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. (2003). Luther on Women: A Sourcebook. Cambridge: Cambridge U. Press. p. 228.
9.Jump up ^ Exodus 22:18
10.Jump up ^ Sermon on Exodus, 1526, WA 16, 551 f.
11.Jump up ^ Martin Luther, Luther's Little Instruction Book, Trans. Robert E. Smith, (Fort Wayne: Project Wittenberg, 2004), Small Catechism 1.2.
12.Jump up ^ WA Tr 4:51–52, no. 3979 quoted and translated in Karant-Nunn, 236. The original Latin and German text is: "25, Augusti multa dicebant de veneficis et incantatricibus, quae ova ex gallinis et lac et butyrum furarentur. Respondit Lutherus: Cum illis nulla habenda est misericordia. Ich wolte sie selber verprennen, more legis, ubi sacerdotes reos lapidare incipiebant.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Hayes, Stephen. 1995. Christian responses to witchcraft and sorcery, in Missionalia, Vol. 23(3) November. Pages 339-354. [1]
14.Jump up ^ U.S. Department of the Army, "Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains": "It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in "Satan", "the Devil", or any similar entities."
15.Jump up ^ "Pope warns Angola of witchcraft". BBC. March 21, 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
16.Jump up ^ Arthur C. Clarke. "Profiles of The Future", 1961 (Clarke's third law)
Bibliography[edit]
Cohn, Norman (1975). Europe's inner demons. London: Sussex University Press. ISBN 0-435-82183-0.
Fox, Robin Lane (1987). Pagans and Christians. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-55495-7.
Hutton, Ronald (1991). Pagan religions of the ancient British Isles. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-17288-2.
Williams, Charles (1959). Witchcraft. New York: Meridian.
External links[edit]
Catholic Encyclopedia "Occult Art, Occultism"
Catholic Encyclopedia "Witchcraft"
  


Categories: Christianity and other religions
Witchcraft
Christianity and Paganism
Magic (paranormal)













Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















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Upload file
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This page was last modified on 3 March 2015, at 16:52.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
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Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_magic