Christian views on witchcraft
Encyclopedia
Christian views on magic
vary widely across denomination
al and individual barriers, and are often influenced by Biblical, theological, and historical considerations. Some Christian
s 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.
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).
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 practice magic". The Contemporary English Version
translates Deuteronomy 18:11 as referring to "any kind of magic".
The topic of Biblical law in Christianity
is still disputed among Christian denominations.
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) This ban is repeated in the Didache
written in the first or second century. The practice of witchcraft and sorcery were regarded as sin
s by Christians that needed to be repented of, confessed, and forsaken.
Christianity is based in Judaism, and teaches that Jesus was the fulfillment of Judaism's prophecies. Because of this, teachings from Judaism regarding magic were held as valid by early Christians. The Jewish law prohibits certain kinds of magic specifically: divination, seeking omens, mediums/spirit-talkers (who commune with the dead), and spell-casters. Thus, communing with the dead and telling the future are specifically forbidden, whereas spell-casting is a general term. These acts, as well as other rituals related to Baal and Canaanites, were specifically forbidden to the Israelites, because God commanded the Israelites to worship only him, per the first commandment. Thus, a prohibition on magic is a corollary to the first commandment to worship no other gods. In the ancient world, and mostly today, practice of magic is always tied to religious worship or fealty. (The distinction is blurry: Seeking a higher power's help through ritual to obtain favorable results is an apt description for many acts of worship as well as for practices of magic.)
The New Testament has 66 mentions of demons (evil spirits) in the Gospels. In summary, it is clear that demons provide persons with the magical abilities forbidden in Hebrew Law (i.e. divination and communing with the dead) and also that those overcome by demons suffer by them. Thus, a second reason to forbid magic, beyond not practicing Idolatry, is that it can be harmful to one's self to practice it.
The exegetical
conclusion is that magic is forbidden in the old Testament, primarily because magic draws power from an (evil) source other than God. This finding is important when trying to apply these teachings in today's context. (See Hermeneutics).
, the Church did not conduct witch trials. The Council of Paderborn
in 785 explicitly outlawed the very belief in witches, and Charlemagne
later confirmed the law. Among Eastern Christians belief in witchcraft was regarded as deisdemonia—superstition
—and by the 9th and 10th centuries in the 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 Church, and witches were seen as directly in league with the Devil
. This marked the beginning of a period of witch-hunt
s 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.
The 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. 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 y Frias, 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.
shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time. When interpreting Exodus 22:18, he stated that, with the help of the devil, witches could steal milk simply by thinking of a cow. In his Small Catechism
he taught that witchcraft was a sin against the second commandment and prescribed the Biblical penalty for it in a "table talk":
, 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.
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.
, a syncretic
hybrid of African animism
and Christianity. From 15th to 19th century, many Hermeticists
combined Christianity with the occult
(mostly alchemy
). There are also those who practice a combination of Neopagan/Wiccan and Christian beliefs, see Christianity and Neopaganism
. The designation of these belief systems as Christian is disputed.
Other modern syncretic traditions include Meso American folk healing tradition such as the Curandisimo practices found in Mexico and Andean folk healing traditions of Peru & Bolivia etc.
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 gift
s 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 charism
s. 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
.
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 Pentecostal 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).
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI denounced belief in witchcraft during a visit to Angola.
Modern Christian views vary as to whether witchcraft is a generalterm 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.
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. Often, wielding magic is accomplished by imposing one's will by concentration and/or use of devices to control an external magical force. This is explanation 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 Chronicles of Narnia, book 6 The Magician's Nephew
, the mythos specifically explains that magic is a power available on other worlds, not available 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.
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
vary widely across denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
al and individual barriers, and are often influenced by Biblical, theological, and historical considerations. Some Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s actively condemn any form of magic as Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
while others simply dismiss it as superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
. Conversely, some branches of esoteric Christianity
Esoteric Christianity
Esoteric Christianity is a term which refers to an ensemble of spiritual currents which regard Christianity as a mystery religion, and profess the existence and possession of certain esoteric doctrines or practices, hidden from the public but accessible only to a narrow circle of "enlightened",...
actively engage in magical practices.
Biblical references
There are several references to witchcraftWitchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that strongly condemn such practices. For example, Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
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).
Some adherents of near-east religions acted as "mediums
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
", channeling messages from the dead or from a "familiar spirit". The Bible sometimes is translated as referring to "necromancer" and "necromancy
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
" (Deut 18:11 KJV) However, some lexicographers, including James Strong
James Strong (theologian)
James Strong was an American Methodist biblical scholar and educator, and the creator of Strong's Concordance.-Biography:...
and Spiros Zodhiates, disagree. These scholars say that the Hebrew word kashaph, used in Exodus 22:18 and 5 other places in the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
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
Contemporary English Version
The Contemporary English Version or CEV is a translation of the Bible into English,published by the American Bible Society...
translates Deuteronomy 18:11 as referring to "any kind of magic".
The topic of Biblical law in Christianity
Biblical law in Christianity
Christian views of the Old Covenant have been central to Christian theology and practice since the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity. There are differing views about the applicability of the Old Covenant among Christian denominations...
is still disputed among Christian denominations.
Early Christianity
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 empireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
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
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
by his death and resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
had won a victory over all forces of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, neither witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
nor sorcery had the power to harm Christians. (Epistle to the Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
8:38-9) A corollary of this was that witchcraft and sorcery were proscribed in Christian scripture. (Galatians 5:20) This ban is repeated in the Didache
Didache
The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century...
written in the first or second century. The practice of witchcraft and sorcery were regarded as sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s by Christians that needed to be repented of, confessed, and forsaken.
Christianity is based in Judaism, and teaches that Jesus was the fulfillment of Judaism's prophecies. Because of this, teachings from Judaism regarding magic were held as valid by early Christians. The Jewish law prohibits certain kinds of magic specifically: divination, seeking omens, mediums/spirit-talkers (who commune with the dead), and spell-casters. Thus, communing with the dead and telling the future are specifically forbidden, whereas spell-casting is a general term. These acts, as well as other rituals related to Baal and Canaanites, were specifically forbidden to the Israelites, because God commanded the Israelites to worship only him, per the first commandment. Thus, a prohibition on magic is a corollary to the first commandment to worship no other gods. In the ancient world, and mostly today, practice of magic is always tied to religious worship or fealty. (The distinction is blurry: Seeking a higher power's help through ritual to obtain favorable results is an apt description for many acts of worship as well as for practices of magic.)
The New Testament has 66 mentions of demons (evil spirits) in the Gospels. In summary, it is clear that demons provide persons with the magical abilities forbidden in Hebrew Law (i.e. divination and communing with the dead) and also that those overcome by demons suffer by them. Thus, a second reason to forbid magic, beyond not practicing Idolatry, is that it can be harmful to one's self to practice it.
The exegetical
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
conclusion is that magic is forbidden in the old Testament, primarily because magic draws power from an (evil) source other than God. This finding is important when trying to apply these teachings in today's context. (See Hermeneutics).
Medieval views
During the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, the Church did not conduct witch trials. The Council of Paderborn
Council of Paderborn
The Council of Paderborn of 785, debating the matter of the Christianization of the Saxons, resolved to make punishable by law all sorts of idolatry, as well as the belief in the existence of witchcraft. It ordered the death penalty for self-appointed witch-hunters who had caused the death of...
in 785 explicitly outlawed the very belief in witches, and Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
later confirmed the law. Among Eastern Christians belief in witchcraft was regarded as deisdemonia—superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
—and by the 9th and 10th centuries in the West, belief in witchcraft had begun to be seen as heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
However, towards the end of the Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
and the beginning of the Early modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
, belief in witchcraft became sanctioned by the Church, and witches were seen as directly in league with the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. This marked the beginning of a period of witch-hunt
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
s 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.
The Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
had conducted trials against supposed witches in the 13th century, but these trials were to punish heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
, of which belief in witchcraft was merely one variety. Inquisitorial courts only became systematically involved in the witch-hunt during the 15th century: in the case of the Madonna Oriente
Madonna Oriente
Madonna Oriente or Signora Oriente ', also known as La Signora del Gioco ', are names of an alleged religious figure, as described by two Italian women who were executed by the Inquisition in 1390 as witches.The story which they are reported to have told is an elaborate and fantastical tale of...
, the Inquisition of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
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
White Magic
White Magic may refer to:* White magic, healing or "good," as opposed to Black magic; see also magic * White Magic , an American rock band* White Magic , album by Swedish musician ceo...
.
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
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
) gave everybody an Edict of Grace (during which confessing witches were not to be punished) and put the only dissenting inquisitor, Alonso de Salazar y Frias, 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.
Martin Luther on witchcraft
Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time. When interpreting Exodus 22:18, he stated that, with the help of the devil, witches could steal milk simply by thinking of a cow. In his Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
he taught that witchcraft was a sin against the second commandment 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."
Modern views
During the Age of EnlightenmentAge of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, 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
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
and empiricism
Empiricism
Empiricism is a theory of knowledge that asserts that knowledge comes only or primarily via sensory experience. One of several views of epistemology, the study of human knowledge, along with rationalism, idealism and historicism, empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence,...
.
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
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. Many African Independent Churches
African Initiated Church
An African Initiated Church is any of a number of Christian churches independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent, in which they sometimes hold to one or more African tribal belief systems syncretised with Christianity.-Nomenclature:A variety of...
developed their own responses to witchcraft and sorcery.
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
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
and other modern witchcraft do not even believe in Satan.
Syncretic religions involving Christianity and witchcraft
Few Christians practice witchcraft or engage in magic. Among the most notable exceptions is SanteríaSantería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
, a syncretic
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
hybrid of African animism
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
and Christianity. From 15th to 19th century, many Hermeticists
Hermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...
combined Christianity with the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
(mostly alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
). There are also those who practice a combination of Neopagan/Wiccan and Christian beliefs, see Christianity and Neopaganism
Christianity and Neopaganism
Christianity and Neopaganism overlap when the beliefs or practices of one religious path influence, or are adopted by, the other. Historically, Christianity sometimes took advantage of traditional pagan beliefs when it spread to new areas – a process known as syncretism...
. The designation of these belief systems as Christian is disputed.
Other modern syncretic traditions include Meso American folk healing tradition such as the Curandisimo practices found in Mexico and Andean folk healing traditions of Peru & Bolivia etc.
Christian mysticism
There are various forms of mysticismMysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
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
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, for instance, formally recognises many spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
s 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 charism
Charism
In Christian theology, a charism in general denotes any good gift that flows from God's love to man. The word can also mean any of the spiritual graces and qualifications granted to every Christian to perform his or her task in the Church...
s. Whether a particular vision is from God or from the devil is the subject of "the discernment
Discernment
Discernment is a term used to describe the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event. Typically, it is used to describe the activity of going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing...
of spirits", which is itself a charism. Early Christian with these gifts include the apostles Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
.
Christian opposition to witchcraft
Several Christian groups continue to believe in witchcraft and view it as a negative force. Much of the criticism originates among Evangelical ChristianEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
groups, especially those of a fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
tendency, who believe that witchcraft is a danger to children. The 2006 documentary Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing about a charismatic Christian summer camp, where children spend their summers learning and practicing their prophetic gifts and being taught that they can "take back America for Christ." According to the...
, which depicts the life of young children attending Becky Fischer
Becky Fischer
Becky Fischer is a Pentecostal children's pastor best known for her role in the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp.Fischer is a third-generation Pentecostal on her father's side and a fourth-generation Pentecostal on her mother's side. Her grandfather was an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God...
's Pentecostal summer camp, shows Fischer condemning the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
novels and telling the students that "Warlocks are enemies of God" (see also Religious debates over the Harry Potter series).
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI denounced belief in witchcraft during a visit to Angola.
Modern Christian views vary as to whether witchcraft is a generalterm for communion with evil, or a specific form of religious system and practice. Christians can espouse the idea that Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and evil are real, while condemning accusations of witchcraft found throughout history as dubious.
Magic in literature as harmless
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
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
and Christian demonology
Christian demonology
Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible , the exegesis of these scriptures, the scriptures of early Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs.-Development:In monotheistic...
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. Often, wielding magic is accomplished by imposing one's will by concentration and/or use of devices to control an external magical force. This is explanation offered for the Force
The Force
- Television and film :*The Force , a 1994 American movie*Force , a fictional concept in Star Wars media*The Force , a British television series on Channel 4...
(Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
), magic in Dungeons and Dragons, and magic in The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
and The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. The latter two works are by notable Christians, C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien, respectively. In the Chronicles of Narnia, book 6 The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. It was the sixth book published in his The Chronicles of Narnia series, but is the first in the chronology of the Narnia novels' fictional universe. Thus it is an early example of a prequel.The novel is initially set in...
, the mythos specifically explains that magic is a power available on other worlds, not available on earth. The Empress Jadis (later, the White Witch
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
) was tempted to use magic for selfish reasons to retain control of her world Charn, which ultimately lead to the destruction of life there.
See also
- Anton PraetoriusAnton PraetoriusAnton Praetorius was a German Calvinist pastor who spoke out against the persecution of witches and against torture.-Life and writings :...
- BenedicariaBenedicariaBenedicaria, which means "Way of Blessing," is a relatively new term for a number of loosely-related family-based folk traditions found throughout Italy, most notably in southern Italy and Sicily...
- Christianity and PaganismChristianity and PaganismEarly Christianity developed in an era of the Roman Empire during which many religions were practiced, that are, due to the lack of a better term, labeled paganism."Paganism", in spite of its etymological meaning of "rural", has a number of distinct meanings...
- EsotericismEsotericismEsotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
- Folk Christianity
- Malleus MaleficarumMalleus MaleficarumThe Malleus Maleficarum is an infamous treatise on witches, written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer, an Inquisitor of the Catholic Church, and was first published in Germany in 1487...
- Thomas AdyThomas AdyThomas Ady was an English physician and humanist who was the author of three sceptical books on witchcraft and witch-hunting, using the Bible as the source. His first and best known work,...