Early Christianity

Sanzo, Joseph E.

doi:10.1163/9789004390751_011

Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic 2019

DOI: 10.1163/9789004390751_011

|View full text |Cite

Early Christianity

Joseph E. Sanzo¹

Abstract: Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a published version is known of, the repository item page linked to above, will contain details on accessing it.

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2019

2023

Publication Types

Select...

Article5

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent5

Authors

Journals

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Notes on rehabilitating “magic” in the study of early Christian literature

Patel

2021

Religion Compass

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article offers an introduction to the study of magic in early Christian literature. In the first part of the article, I discuss the types of evidence scholars of early Christian texts often use to “reconstruct” ancient magic, as well as the methodological problems associated with these scholarly reconstructions. In the second part, I argue for the rehabilitating “magic” as a critical category in the study of early Christian literature despite the problems outlined throughout this article. Ultimately, I claim that the modern conceptual baggage associated with magic has resistive potential in undermining dominant historiographical narratives of how Christianity developed as something wholly distinct from magic.

show abstract

Notes on rehabilitating “magic” in the study of early Christian literature

Patel

2021

Religion Compass

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Trespassers Will Be Charmed on Sight

Wilson

2023

Relig. Theol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article, I present an interpretation of violent episodes in the pastoral poetry of the third-century Latin author, Nemesianus. Drawing on comparison to depictions of sexual violence on apotropaic amulets and art, I argue that Nemesianus intended his own poetry to showcase the apotropaic power of pastoral songs and pastoral books. In so doing, Nemesianus continues a tradition of ancient pastoral authors who expended considerable effort to compare their hexameters and themselves to magical spells and practitioners of magic. I conclude with some thoughts on the Good Shepherd motif on sarcophagi roughly contemporary with Nemesianus.

show abstract

Healing Traditions in Coptic Magical Texts

Dosoo

2021

Trends in Classics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Within the ‘market of healing’ of Christian Egypt (here broadly considered as the fourth through twelfth centuries CE), ‘magical’ practitioners represent an elusive yet recurrent category. This article explores the evidence for magical healing from three perspectives – first, literary texts which situate ‘magicians’ in competition with medical and ecclesiastical healing; second, the papyrological evidence of Coptic-language magical texts, which provide evidence for concepts of disease, wellness, and their mediation; and finally confronting the question of how these healing traditions might be understood within the methodologically materialistic framework of academic history, using the concepts of placebo and healing as a performance.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

hi@scite.ai

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Early Christianity

Abstract: Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a published version is known of, the repository item page linked to above, will contain details on accessing it.

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Notes on rehabilitating “magic” in the study of early Christian literature

Notes on rehabilitating “magic” in the study of early Christian literature

Trespassers Will Be Charmed on Sight

Healing Traditions in Coptic Magical Texts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About