• Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power

Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power

Paperback

Series: Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen World Mythology, Book 88

Religion General Mythology & FolkloreGeneral Christianity

ISBN10: 0691004587
ISBN13: 9780691004587
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: Apr 4 1999
Pages: 432
Weight: 1.32
Height: 1.17 Width: 6.17 Depth: 9.18
Language: English

This thought-provoking collection of magical texts from ancient Egypt shows the exotic rituals, esoteric healing practices, and incantatory and supernatural dimensions that flowered in early Christianity. These remarkable Christian magical texts include curses, spells of protection from headless powers and evil spirits, spells invoking thunderous powers, descriptions of fire baptism, and even recipes from a magical cookbook. Virtually all the texts are by Coptic Christians, and they date from about the 1st-12th centuries of the common era, with the majority from late antiquity. By placing these rarely seen texts in historical context and discussing their significance, the authors explore the place of healing, prayer, miracles, and magic in the early Christian experience, and expand our understanding of Christianity and Gnosticism as a vital folk religion.

Also in

General Christianity