Magic in the Biblical World

Magic in the Biblical World
Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages : 278
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780567318015
ISBN-13 : 056731801X
Rating : 4/5 (01X Downloads)

Book Synopsis Magic in the Biblical World by : Todd Klutz

Download or read book Magic in the Biblical World written by Todd Klutz and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2004-03-01 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The category 'magic' , long used to signify an allegedly substantive type of activity distinguishable from 'religion', has nearly been dismantled by recent historical and social-scientific approaches to religious studies. While recognising and at times reinforcing this stance, the essays in this collection show that there is still much to be learned about the cultural context of early Judaism and Christianity by analysing ancient texts which either use 'magic' as a category for purposes of deviance labelling or promote behaviour of a broadly magico-religious variety. Through sustained engagement with texts ranging from Exod. 7-9 and Acts 8 to the Testament of Solomon and the Late Antique alchemical treatise known as the Cyranides, this volume focuses chiefly on materials that challenge the familiar boundaries between miracle and magic and medicine; yet it also heightens awareness of the way unsuspecting use of a sick sign (e.g. 'magic') can impede critical understanding of texts and their respective contexts of production and reception. Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series, Volume 245.


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