The Priest & the Magician
The Choice Between Contemplation & Control of Nature
Joseph C. Atkinson, in his book Biblical and Theological Foundations of the Family, provides a compelling explanation of the rise of magic in the midst of the ancient religions. Israel’s conception of God differs radically from that of her surrounding neighbors, among whom there is a curious duality concerning the conception of power above. First there are the gods, who represent the forces of nature, visible and invisible—the sea, the sun, fertility, the fire, and so on. But, as Atkinson’s research documents, the gods in the ancient pagan faiths are often seen calling upon “meta-divine forces” to surmount their own limitations. Atkinson writes:
The gods do not have supreme power, nor do they ultimately determine the nature of created reality, for they themselves, at some level, are a part of that same order. In the pagan worldview, both the gods and human beings have to accept the power of the fates. (emphasis mine)
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N. E. Ziegenhagen is the vicar of Trinity Anglican Church in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where he lives with his wife and six children.
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