![]() The volume editor, David Frankfurter, explains that the overall concept was inspired by the venerable Dutch scholar Henk Versnel, who argued that ‘magic does not exist, nor does religion. Part 4 on the ‘Dimensions of a Category Magic’ predominantly concerns late antique Greek and Egyptian magic. ![]() Part 3 on the ‘Materials of Ancient Magic’ is less controversial, since it deals more with text than with theory. The theme of Part 2, ‘Cultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual’, is contentious, since it hardly leaves room for a more balanced presentation of the positive psychological effects of healing or defensive magic. The book is divided into four Parts consisting of 28 individual contributions. This highly useful and informative collection of essays both illuminates and somewhat distorts the topic which it intends to guide us through, as it is aiming to define ancient magic while at the same time attempting to avoid the term ‘magic’.
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