Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World

Exam Questions for Feb. 17 Meeting

Topic: Magicians and Shamans

• Compare and Contrast Jesus's magic and the magic used by "magicians." (Summer L Townsend)

• What is the difference between a magician and a shaman? shaman and priest? (Summer L Townsend)

• Essay Question: Describe the similarities and differences between a priest and a shaman. (Diana Hollenbeck)

• Objective Question: What are two examples of a modern day magician at work within the United States? (Diana Hollenbeck)

• Is the parrallel drawn betweeen the lives and actions of Jesus and Apollonius a valid one? Does this perspective undermine the belief in as Jesus as the son of God by casting him as a magician? (Robin McEvoy)

• What differenciates betweeen witches, priests, shamans, magicians and philosophers? Do their roles remain stagnant or vary from society to society? (Robin McEvoy)

• Essay Question: Compare and contrast ancient "magical" healers with contemporary physicians, including how they were/are viewed by the general public. (Chris Roy)

• Short Answer: List and briefly explain three aspects of ancient spells/rituals. (Chris Roy)

• Discuss the idea that knowledge is dangerous, especially knowledge of the supernatural realm. (Julie Alvarez)

• Has Anton LaVey molded his historical life into a legenadry one? (Julie Alvarez)

• Define the term "shaman". (Melissa Klotz)

• Describe the emic and etic views of Jesus Christ as magician. Do you see this as generally true of al people labelled "magicians"? (Melissa Klotz)

• Discuss the importance of having an emic view when examining magic. (Krista Ernewein)

• True or false: A shaman deals only with vision quests, or personal journeys. (Krista Ernewein)

• Describe some of the qualities that would indicate that Jesus was a magician: (Sheeja Kanacheril)

• Personally, does the word "magic" carry a good connotation or a bad one? What are some of the characteristics that you based your decision on? (Sheeja Kanacheril)

• In discussing Anton Levay, the class seemed to not see him as a dangerous character because he no longer practices black magic or performs Satanic rituals. Can he, or any other magician, be considered unharmful while still upholding thier "dangerous" beliefs? Does the danger from a magician only come from ritual or can it also come from the mind? (Louise Mullins)

• Name two biblical persons, besides Jesus, who were thought to practice magic. (Louise Mullins)

• The Native American religion "Shamanism" was based, in part, on which of the following?(Sirida Graham)

  1. composing poetry

  2. practicing necromancy

  3. worshiping ancestors

  4. ingesting hallucinogenic drugs

  Correct answer is item C

• According to Alex's report on "the Magician, the Witch, and The Law", how did the Church distinguish between "learning" and "magic"? Give examples of how this ideological division was applied.(Sirida Graham)

• Possible answers: distinction b/w general learning and learning the magical arts, a particular form of learning; academic division in which scientists were regarded as studying the natural sciences while philosophers were regarded as studying necromancy; Jesus had performed miracles while magicians performed illusions; astronomy required studying celestial bodies and was therefore not scientific and was therefore also considered a heresy (Sirida Graham)

• Essay: Define the role of the institutional functionary and the inspirational functionary with the respect to those of priests and shamen. Are both of these roles fulfilled or even necessary in our society (Eric Moore)

• Short Answer: How do the accusations against Apollonius of Tyana demonstrate that one's definition of magician may beentirelybased on misunderstanding of knowledge? (Eric Moore)

• Why was magic more accepted in polytheistic cultures than in monotheistic cultures. (Rhonda Rowland)

• In the conclusion of the discussion, it was stated that "magic can't be defined globally, but must be defined within the culture itself." What problems arise when magic is analyzed on a global scale and what examples are there where this view contradicts the analysis gained from within the culture.(Rhonda Rowland)

• Which of the following is most closely associated with an organized religion? (Sharon O'Regan)

  1. magician

  2. priest

  3. prophet

  4. shamen

• Present a point of view arguing whether Jesus was a magician or not. (Sharon O'Regan)

• If you where defending Jesus in court on charges of burning the joshua tree, would you say he was a magician or a priest? (alex)

• How was knowledge dangerous to the Ancient Scholar? (alex)

• How has heresy been linked to magic in ages past, especially by the early Christians? (Megan Ostrander)

• Who founded the Church of Satan? (Megan Ostrander)

• Essay Question: Beyond the specifics of the "magic" which allege Apuleius's accusers (one might try to find in the description they put forth of the rituals in which Apuleius was supposedly involved a view into the epoch's magical milieu), what role do we see the IDEA of magic play in this society? Comment on the notion that magic is a nebullous conception, constructing a cross-cultural argument which poises magic as an ideological device. (Joseph Warner)

• Identify Bar-Jesus. (Jeremy Bufford)

• Did early Christians believe that Jesus was a magician? Discuss whether or not there is a distinction between "miracle" and "magic." (Jeremy Bufford)