Christian views on magic

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Christian views on magic vary widely across denominational and individual barriers, and are often influenced by Biblical, theological, and historical considerations. 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

[edit] Introduction

Beliefs regarding magic have been around for centuries, and are to be found in many human societies. They were common in the society of the Roman empire into which the Christian faith emerged. (See the Book of Acts) Christian responses differed from the surrounding society in that Christians believed that since Christ by his death and resurrection had won a victory over all forces of evil, neither witchcraft nor sorcery had the power to harm Christians. (Epistle to the Romans 8:38-9) A corollary of this was that witchcraft and sorcery were proscribed in Christian scripture. (Galatians 5:20) The practice of witchcraft and sorcery were sins that Christians needed to repent of, confess and forsake.

Among Eastern Christians belief in witchcraft was regarded as deisdemonia -- superstition. In the West, however, by the 9th and 10th centuries, belief in witchcraft began to be seen as heresy.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Early Modern period, belief in witchcraft became sanctioned by the Church, and witches were seen as directly in league with the Devil. This marked the beginning of a period of witch-hunts 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.

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.[1]

In the 20th century the situation was further complicated by the rise of new religious movements that considered witchcraft to be a religion.

[edit] Modern views

Usually, this view does not claim that witches actually consciously enter into a pact with Satan, which is especially important because most practitioners of Wicca and other modern witchcraft do not even believe in Satan.[2][1]

[edit] Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft

Few Christians practice Witchcraft or engage in magic. Among the most notable exceptions is Santería, a syncretic hybrid of African animism and Christianity. There are also those who practice a combination of Wiccan and Christian beliefs, see Christian Wicca. The designation of these belief systems as Christian is disputed.

[edit] Christian mysticism and witchcraft

There are various forms of mysticism that claim Christian roots. Some Christian denominations reject these as another form of witchcraft or sorcery, while others accept at least certain forms of mysticism. The Catholic Church, for instance, formally recognises many spiritual gifts reported by some Christian mystics, such as visions and healing. It is worth noting that, in the early years of Christianity, the situation was reversed, with the majority of Christians following a more mystic variant. These spiritual gifts are often referred to as charisms. Whether a particular vision is from God or from the devil is the subject of "the discernment of spirits", which is itself a charism. Early Christian with these gifts include the apostles Paul and John.

[edit] Medieval views

During the early Middle Ages, the Church did not conduct witch trials.[3] The Council of Paderborn in 785 explicitly outlawed the very belief in witches, and Charlemagne later confirmed the law. The Inquisition 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.[3]

[edit] Martin Luther on witchcraft

Martin Luther shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time.[4] When interpreting Exodus 22:18,[5] he stated that, with the help of the devil, witches could steal milk simply by thinking of a cow.[6] In his Small Catechism, he taught that witchcraft was a sin against the second commandment[7] and prescribed the Biblical penalty for it in a "table talk":

On 25 August 1538 there was much discussion about witches and sorceresses who poisoning chicken eggs in the nests, or poisoning 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."[8]

[edit] Biblical references and interpretations

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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" (NIV); Exodus 22:18 states "Do not allow a sorceress to live" (NIV). Many people today, particularly fundamentalist Christians, assume that these texts refer also to modern witches.

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" (Deut 18:11 KJV) 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 practise magic". The Contemporary English Version translates Deuteronomy 18:11 as referring to "any kind of magic".

[edit] Context of verses

The context of Exodus 22:18 as part of the laying forth of the Law of Moses may indicate that its purpose is to keep the religion of Yahweh's people distinct in its practices from those of the surrounding peoples.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hayes, Stephen. 1995. Christian responses to witchcraft and sorcery, in Missionalia, Vol. 23(3) November. Pages 339-354. [1]
  2. ^ 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."
  3. ^ a b Cohn, Norman: "Europe's Inner Demons: The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom." London: Sussex University Press, 1975
  4. ^ Susan C. Karant-Nunn and Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Luther on Women: A Sourcebook, (Cambridge: Cambridge U. Press, 2003), 228.
  5. ^ Exodus 22:18
  6. ^ Sermon on Exodus, 1526, WA 16, 551 f.
  7. ^ Martin Luther, Luther's Little Instruction Book, Trans. Robert E. Smith, (Fort Wayne: Project Wittenberg, 2004), Small Catechism 1.2.
  8. ^ 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.

[edit] Bibliography

  • 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. 

[edit] External links