2008 Woodie Awards
The thin line between religion and magic
Kristen Campbell/Religion News Service
Issue date: 11/11/07 Section: Divine Intervention
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Maybe it's their pointy incisors. Or their preference for darkness. Could be their reputation for literally sucking the life out of their victims. Whatever it is, vampires don't have the best reputation.
So you might be surprised to learn that vampires have ethics that prevent them from taking energy (not all seek blood) from people without their knowledge. Or that the witches' way is one that says you can do what you will, so long as no one's harmed.
Such are the truths Christine Wicker reveals in "Not in Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic Is Transforming America," a tome in which the author explores, among other things, the connections between traditional religion and magic.
Indeed, as she writes early on in "Not in Kansas," "Religion and magical thinking are so intertwined that scholars still argue over where the dividing line is."
She adds: "Today the Bible is often used in magical workings by people who claim it's the best spell book ever written. Christo-magic is common in Pentecostal and Holiness traditions, although they would not call it magic. Saint magic is popular among Catholics. Hoodoo, an African-American magical system that also calls on Jesus and the saints, is outside-the-church Christo-magic."
Still, the public relationship between religion and magic seems rocky at best, ranging from dismissal to denouncement.
Research from the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion showed that belief in the paranormal declines with increasing church attendance. Evangelicals are the least attracted to paranormal beliefs of all religious groups, according to the 2006 study.
"Evangelicals tend to be more rational about religion," Wicker said. "They rely on the word. They're more kind of linear in their thinking about religion."
Still, while that study shows evangelicals are among the least likely to believe in paranormal phenomena like haunted houses, astrology or communication with the dead, they are among those who've been most outspoken in recent years about things like Halloween celebrations and the Harry Potter series.
So you might be surprised to learn that vampires have ethics that prevent them from taking energy (not all seek blood) from people without their knowledge. Or that the witches' way is one that says you can do what you will, so long as no one's harmed.
Such are the truths Christine Wicker reveals in "Not in Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic Is Transforming America," a tome in which the author explores, among other things, the connections between traditional religion and magic.
Indeed, as she writes early on in "Not in Kansas," "Religion and magical thinking are so intertwined that scholars still argue over where the dividing line is."
She adds: "Today the Bible is often used in magical workings by people who claim it's the best spell book ever written. Christo-magic is common in Pentecostal and Holiness traditions, although they would not call it magic. Saint magic is popular among Catholics. Hoodoo, an African-American magical system that also calls on Jesus and the saints, is outside-the-church Christo-magic."
Still, the public relationship between religion and magic seems rocky at best, ranging from dismissal to denouncement.
Research from the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion showed that belief in the paranormal declines with increasing church attendance. Evangelicals are the least attracted to paranormal beliefs of all religious groups, according to the 2006 study.
"Evangelicals tend to be more rational about religion," Wicker said. "They rely on the word. They're more kind of linear in their thinking about religion."
Still, while that study shows evangelicals are among the least likely to believe in paranormal phenomena like haunted houses, astrology or communication with the dead, they are among those who've been most outspoken in recent years about things like Halloween celebrations and the Harry Potter series.
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