Middle Ages Magic Activities from Religious Point of View - Assignment Example

?Q 5. Arab and Jewish magic had quite a lot of science in it, and involved also knowledge of astrology, the human body and various plants and herbs. Practitioners could heal diseases that the Christians could not, and Christians relied more on prayer than on herbal remedies. The cleanliness of the Arab doctors, due to their religious washing rituals contributed to their success, which in turn created a desire in many Christians to study their techniques for themselves (Duchan, 2012, p. 1). The Church did not approve of theories that contradicted the official doctrine of the Church. This is because their view of human knowledge is based on a concept of an all-knowing God and a revelation of absolute truth through the scriptures, and through the Pope and the senior leaders of the Church. There was no room for theories that were based on principles outside this rather strict set of rules. The whole issue of whether the earth is the center of the universe, for example, was seen as a theological dogma, not a theory or scientific view, and these issues have the potential to cause the whole foundation of Christian belief to crumble if they are challenged and found to be false. That is why the Church resisted any other views. There seems to have been in Medieval times quite a bit of experimentation with these forbidden arts, just as today people read horoscopes, go to see fortune tellers, and have lucky objects at the same time as holding broadly orthodox beliefs in one of the main religions. Old pagan beliefs linger on in symbolic ways, as for example in the Christmas trees, Harvest Thanksgiving services and Easter eggs that we have in Western culture, even though these are symbolic of pagan festivals (Jolly, 2000, p. 1). In this there is not so much difference between medieval and modern society. The issue of predetermined events and the prediction of human behavior was a very thorny one because it goes to the heart of the Christian doctrine of salvation. It matters a lot, for example, whether a person has free will or not, and whether they freely choose to do good or evil deeds, or whether they are just puppets being manipulated by fate or some demon or other. Christians have a strong sense of being morally responsible for their actions, and relying on God alone, and so any other forces that get in between a man or woman and their god was seen as a bit threat. Q 6. The Christian Church regarded witchcraft with the old gods. It was interesting to learn that many practices such as divination were collective enterprises, with whole towns and villages gathering to make a joint request of the gods. It is clear also that some ancient practices which were originally pagan, were later adapted to fit the new Christian context. The use of runes for example, which previously would have had a protective function, when carved on a special object, was later applied to Christian objects (. The old pre-Christian culture valued words, and this may have meant that they adapted easily to the Church culture which revered scripture. There seems to have been a particular branch of magic that was used as a weapon, which was a negative use that was absolutely forbidden. People could place a curse on their enemies and then they would suffer pain and death. There is no clear distinction between magic, medicine and science since the elements of magic could be herbs and potions, or spells, or other treatments. What makes the distinction is the source of the power that people call upon – this defines whether it is good or bad. If the Christian God is seen as the source, then the Church approves the practice. Otherwise it is outlawed. Q 7. Not answered Q 8. In Scandinavian magic activities linked with the old pagan gods were condemned by the Church. These ancient gods were categorized as demons. People were punished for indulging in any of the old practices that were connected with the Viking gods. In the ancient literature the practice of divination is depicted and this is equated with practices in the bible such as sorcery which are forbidden to Christians Irish magic is bound up with legends about the fairy world, and there is a very strong attachment with the landscape. Certain hills, lakes and springs are connected with these other worldy creatures, and even into modern times people have a respect for these magic sites (Bludworth, 2012, part 2). Cunning folk practices are from the English area, and this includes some medical activity as well as the preparation of love potions, the finding of lost objects and the ability to undo bad magic. The people who were able to master the hidden arts of “cunning” or knowledge often inherited special skills and then studied from other practitioners as well. They had a special relationship with “familiars” who were spiritual creatures of various types. An interesting part of the role of cunning folk was their involvement in criminal justice. They were used to identify thieves and witches, which means that there is some debate about whether they are to be seen as belonging to the same category as witches, or whether they are a separate category. It was interesting to learn that there was some debate at the time about what the definition of witchcraft should be, and that witches were used against each other. Q 9. Oldridge’s argument makes sense in a world where there is one single source of truth. Anything that threatens that secure basis for morality is seen as dangerous, and so it is logical that non-believers who openly challenge Christian laws should be punished and even eliminated (Budworth, lecture 1, 2012). Heresy is seen as a direct challenge to God’s commandment and since witchcraft relies on other powers that are not divine, it follows that practitioners deny God, which makes them heretics. Persecution of those who step out of line from the orthodox position is not necessarily it right, but at least it is consistent. People who go against the commandments of the Church, and who use apparently supernatural powers are perceived as dangerous because they can tempt believers away from the faith. In the modern world there is in most societies, some tolerance of different religious beliefs and a certain amount of freedom to express different opinions. I think Satanism is often just a harmless experimentation by people who are disillusioned with traditional religious faith. It becomes a problem, however, as does any kind of group mentality, when it starts to break the laws of the land and bring physical or emotional harm to people. In this case it should be reported and the people prosecuted. The Salem witch trial is an example of what happens when people gang up against an outsider, or someone who is perceived as different. There are examples of this in modern cultures when one particular ideology dominates all others. In Europe the Jews were persecuted, and in America there have been persecutions of political groups, for example of Communists during the McCarthy era. I think this is a regrettable but entirely natural human tendency, and it is the job of democratic society to keep these instincts in check, and ensure that everyone has the freedom, within the law, to express whatever religious or political view they like. Q 10. The whole point of the Inquisition was to establish the absolute power of the Church. In an era when there was a lot of famine, flood, plagues, and of course war, people were constantly afraid, and the Church took on the role of consoler and protector. The price for this support was the obedience of the people to the teachings of the Church. Within the Church there were also factions, battling for power and so there was a lot of intrigue, and denouncements of individuals who opposed each other. It was not so much a matter of what a person actually believed, since there was already quite a broad spectrum of belief present in the different regions where Christianity prevailed, it was all about a person bowing to the public pronouncements of the priest, and submitting to the party line. There was a very sexist differentiation of roles in the Church, and so some women obtained special permission to create their own special communities, where they could establish their own rules. The Beguines are an example of this, but they were ultimately perceived as a danger to the establishment and designated as heretics. There is no doubt quite a lot of male chauvinism in the suppression of such groups (Bludworth, 2012, part II). Anti Semitism is in evidence across Europe and in the early years of the history of the United States. Once again the pattern seems to be to identify an outsider group, and then designate them as dangerous and criminal, before finally taking steps to eliminate them. The association of Jews with lepers is an example of how powerful elites use their position to label other people. They use their power to change the opinions of the majority and access the resources of the outlawed groups. The motivation for persecution of the Jews by King Philip V in Paris was clearly greed, and a desire create fear among the population at large and unite the people in support of the king ((Bludworth, 2012, part II). In Spain also, conspiracy theories against the Jews provide a rationale for violence and persecution. References Bludworth, Loretta. “Celtic Magic and Witchcraft in Ireland”. Lecture, part 2. 2012. [Accessed 06.08.2012]. Bludworth, Loretta. “The Cunning Folk Tradition.” Lecture part 3. 2012. [Accessed 06.08.2012]. Bludworth, Loretta. “Heresy.” Lecture part 1. 2012. [Accessed 06.08.2012]. Bludworth, Loretta. “Heresy.” Lecture part II. [Accessed 06.08. 2012]. Duchan, Judy. “Medieval Arabc medicine”. 2012. [Accessed 08.06.2012]. Jolly, Karen Louise. “Magic and Witchcraft: Magic in the Middle Ages: A Preliminary Discussion. ORB Online Encyclopedia. (2000). [Accessed 06.08.2012]. Read More