Religion and Magic in Western Culture

Copyright

Contents

Introduction

1. A Universe Disfigured and Caricatured

1.1 Marcel Mauss’s Essay on Magic

1.2 A Problematic Couple

1.3 What are the Real Stakes?

1.4 The Indispensable Adversary

1.5 An Adversary Mute, Mutilated and Disfigured

1.6 The Diabolisation and Criminalisation of Magic

1.7 A Long, Violent History

2. The Powers of Religion

2.1 A Double Mirror Construction

2.1.1 Religio, Religion, Religions

2.1.2 What Constitutes “Religious”?

2.1.3 Gods, Priests and Rituals

2.1.4 What Elements?

2.1.5 What Form?

2.1.6 What Boundaries?

2.1.7 Paradoxes

2.1.8 A Major Aporia

2.1.9 The Non-religious Heritage of Religion

2.2 The Great Convergence

2.2.1 A Formidable Discursive Device

2.2.2 An Incomparable Power

2.2.3 An Instrument of Conquest – and Considerable Stakes

2.2.4 A Conquering, Dominating and Narcissistic Anthropology

3. Magic without Religion

3.1 If Religion Does Not Exist…

3.2 A Universal Framework and Model

3.2.1 A Curious Inventory

3.2.2 A Sui Generis Force

3.2.3 Catholic Magisms

3.2.4 A Living Universe

3.2.5 A Return to Mauss

3.3 Lands of Misfortune

3.3.1 Suffering and Worry

3.3.2 Explain, Avoid and Heal

3.3.3 Man’s “Small Worlds”

Conclusions

Bibliography

Index