Religion, Science, and Magic

In Concert and In Conflict

By: Jacob Neusner (Editor), Ernest S. Frerichs (Editor), Paul Virgil McCracken Flesher (Editor)

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Paperback | 1 July 1992

At a Glance

Paperback
308 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.75

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Every culture makes the distinction between "true religion" and magic, regarding one action and its result as "miraculous," while rejecting another as the work of the devil. Surveying such topics as Babylonian witchcraft, Jesus the magician, magic in Hasidism and Kabbalah, and magic in Anglo-Saxon England, these ten essays provide a rigorous examination of the history of this distinction in Christianity and Judaism. Written by such distinguished scholars as Jacob Neusner, Hans Penner, Howard Kee, Tzvi Abusch, Susan R. Garrett, and Moshe Idel, the essays explore a broad range of topics, including how certain social groups sort out approved practices and beliefs from those that are disapproved--providing fresh insight into how groups define themselves; "magic" as an insider's term for the outsider's religion; and the tendency of religious traditions to exclude the magical. In addition the collection provides illuminating social, cultural, and anthropological explanations for the
prominence of the magical in certain periods and literatures.

Industry Reviews

"[T]his book is both interesting and a valuable contribution to the study of magic in its relationship to learning."--The Heythrop Journal "...The collection as a whole offers fascinating insights into the socio-cultural background of the upsurge of magic in definite periods"--The Journal of Indo-European Studies "[T]his book is both interesting and a valuable contribution to the study of magic in its relationship to learning."--The Heythrop Journal "...The collection as a whole offers fascinating insights into the socio-cultural background of the upsurge of magic in definite periods"--The Journal of Indo-European Studies

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