Papyrologist Korshi Dosoo reveals the world of early Christian magic found in papyrus-records. Blurred boundaries between Christian practices and magic, insipid amulets and narrative charms, seeking justice through magical traditions, continuation of magical traditions throughout history, and the invisibility of early Christian magic are all discussed.
Early Christian magic set the stage for ideological approaches to magic in Christianity.
Studying Christian magic provides valuable insights into the complexity of religious belief in late antiquity.
Deep dives
Early Christian Magic and its Discourses
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses early Christian magic and its discourses. They explore how early Christian polemics against magic set the stage for ideological approaches to magic. The context and evidence base for early Christian magic are primarily derived from texts found in Egypt, including papyri and metal objects. The speaker also highlights the overlap between older Greek and Demotic Magical Papyri and later pathological documents in Greek and Coptic. They note that many of these texts were copies of much earlier compositions and spread through manuscript traditions in various languages. The speaker struggles to define the boundaries between magic and Christianity, acknowledging the complexities and the blurred lines between the two concepts. They also discuss the challenges of determining what is considered magic and what is considered Christian within late antiquity.
Types of Early Christian Magic Texts
The podcast delves into the different types of early Christian magic texts. Scriptural amulets are identified as one category, consisting of small papyrus pieces containing passages from the Bible or letters attributed to biblical figures. Narrative charms are also highlighted, which are short stories or texts used to effect change in reality. These charms often involve healing, protection, or specific outcomes and are primarily transmitted orally. The podcast further explores the importance of prayers for justice, which differ from binding curses in that they petition divine help rather than seeking to harm others. Lastly, the podcast discusses magical texts known as Christian liturgical texts, which include longer liturgical prayers as well as shorter spells, recipes, and invocations with a range of purposes such as healing, love spells, divination, and curses.
The Use of Christian Elements in Non-Christian Magical Texts
The podcast highlights the incorporation of Christian elements into non-Christian magical texts. It mentions texts like the Sarapion, which attribute magical properties to gemstones and plants, and references the Corinthian Testimony as an example of an early Christian magical text. The discussion focuses on a Christian exorcism text found in PGM IV, a non-Christian codex from ancient Egypt. This text includes invocations of Jesus and employs a form of Coptic that predates the standard Coptic alphabet, indicating an early origin. The podcast also explores the role of exorcism and the emphasis on exorcism in early Christianity and suggests that the inclusion of Christian elements in magical texts may have been motivated by the specific association of Christians with exorcism.
Unveiling the Invisible Tradition of Christian Magic
The podcast emphasizes the importance of studying the often-overlooked tradition of Christian magic. It points out that early Christian liturgical texts and practices demonstrated in magical contexts provide valuable insights into the complexity of religious belief and practice in late antiquity. The speaker notes that understanding the historical context of these texts helps dispel misconceptions surrounding magic and its place within early Christianity. Additionally, they emphasize that the ongoing research in this field will contribute to a better understanding of the secret history of Christian magic and illuminate the significant historical role it played.
With papyrologist Korshi Dosoo as our guide, we explore the world of first-millennium Christian magic as it is found in the papyrus-records, both published and unpublished. Along the way we learn more about Christianity than we expected.
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