Magic in the Roman World: Pagans, Jews and Christians

by Naomi Janowitz

Overview

Using in-depth examples of 'magical' practice such as exorcisms, love rites, alchemy and the transformation of humans into divine beings, this lively volume demonstrates that the word 'magic' was used widely in late antique texts as part of polemics against enemies and sometimes merely as a term for other people's rituals. Naomi Janowitz shows that 'magical' activities were integral to late antique religious practice, and that they must be understood from the perspective of those who employed them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134633678
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/11/2002
Series:	Religion in the First Christian Centuries
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Naomi Janowitz is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California-Davis. She is the author of Poetics of Ascent (1989) and numerous articles on the religions of late antiquity.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Chapter 1 Greco-Roman, Christian and Jewish Concepts of “Magic”; Chapter 2 Daimons and Angels and the World of Exorcism; Chapter 3 Ancient Rites for Gaining Lovers; Chapter 4 Using Natural Forces for Divine Goals; Chapter 5 Divine Power, Human Hands; Chapter 6 “Even the Decent Women Practice Witchcraft”; Chapter 7 Concluding Note;

Editorial Reviews

'This is an entertaining and scholarly introduction to magical beliefs and practices in the early centuries of the Christian era ... This book will be required reading for students and researchers of ancient magic.' - R.J.Clare University of Leeds

'[Janowitz's] book will help serve as an introduction to the fascinating study of ancient magic for the non-specialist ...' - Journal of Roman Studies

From the Publisher