Within Reason #126 Was Jesus an Ancient Magician? - Religion for Breakfast
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Oct 19, 2025 Andrew Mark Henry, a scholar of early Christianity and creator of the YouTube channel Religion for Breakfast, dives deep into the intriguing question of whether Jesus was an ancient magician. He explores the concept of ancient 'magic' versus modern interpretations, examines Celsus's critiques of Jesus's miracles, and discusses the implications of Jesus's portrayal in early Christian art. With insights into the role of charisma in exorcism and the production of magical texts, the conversation unveils the fascinating intersections of ritual, authority, and religious practice.
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Miracle And Magic Blur Together
- Miracle and magic overlap in the ancient sources and cannot be cleanly separated by fixed definitions.
- Andrew Mark Henry argues both fall under the broader category of thaumaturgical performance judged by observers.
Magi Shifted From Priests To Accusation
- The Greek-derived term magus (magoi/magia) shifted from an ethnographic title to a pejorative for illicit wonder-workers.
- By Jesus' era, 'magus' was mostly an accusation used to other and discredit ritual specialists.
Celsus Versus Origen On Jesus' Powers
- Celsus accused Jesus of learning sorcery in Egypt and doing powers through demons or fraud.
- Origen replied by reinterpreting those same acts as divinely sourced miracles.
