Abstract
This project aims to describe a distinction between magic and religion that is centered around practices, focusing specifically on the intent of these practices, using the language and context surrounding them to describe their intent. I use this to define what both a magical and religious practice look like, and separate them from being tied to specific systems of belief. I compared primary sources of practices from Greco-Roman antiquity and modern Christianity under this distinction in order to highlight how magic and religion are considered within practices of western culture itself against how western culture considers the practice of other cultures. Many of my sources from antiquity come from The Greek Magical Papyri in translation, and I pulled my modern sources from modern church websites in order to look at how the individual person interacts with these concepts. The inconsistency of how the distinction between practices is used in western scholarship for other culture practices and how it is applied to practices within western culture is shown through these comparisons. This is caused in part by Christian influences on the ideals of western culture from the period of Imperial Rome to today.
Advisor
Park, Chan Sok
Department
Classical Studies
Recommended Citation
Grimes, Julian Russell, "Magic in the Air: An Understanding of the Distinction Between Magic and Religion" (2025). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11661.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11661
Disciplines
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity
Publication Date
2025
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2025 Julian Russell Grimes