Western Scholars Have Traditionally Used the Term Witchcraft to Describe

Catholic Historical Review Vol. Among most social science scholars of Africa particularly anthropologists witchcraft is defined as an act of magic that results in harming a person or aspects of the material world on which he or she depends.

Historically it is often associated with indigenous and tribal societies and involves belief that shamans with a connection to the otherworld have the power to heal the sick communicate with spirits and escort souls of the dead to the afterlife.

. In contemporary scholarly and popular discourse the term witchcraft refers to a wide variety of ideas practices and institutions. Women are often more likely to become possessed than men. Spirit possession is always viewed as an act of the devil.

Pxi In his ground breaking book African Religions and Philosophy Mbiti says These earlier descriptions and studies of African religions left with terms which are inadequate derogatory and prejudicial. The use of the term witchcraft in the Bible can not be regarded as accurate as a term chosen for translation purposes. Culturally-based attitudes about seeking treatment and trusting traditional medicines and folk remedies are rooted in core belief systems about illness causation ie naturalistic Ayurvedic biomedical etc.

Baskin A Dictionary of Spiritualism New York. Shamanism is a system of religious practice. The original concept of witchcraft corresponds to what anthropologists call sorcery.

Hans Holzer Introduction Encyclopedia. Western scholars have traditionally used the term witchcraft to describe. WITCHCRAFT AFRICAN STUDIES OF.

Early modern Europe During the early modern period the concept of magic underwent a more positive reassessment through the development. Traditionally the term witchcraft has meant the use of magic to cause harm and misfortune to others as opposed to helpful white magic. Witchcraft 1 art of spell casting focusing mainly on low magic versus High Magicceremonial style magick 2 The craft of a witch sometimes but not always of the wiccan faith including spell work.

Bonanza Books 1971 364. Today western news media continue to use the old anthropological term animism to refer to the indigenous religions of Africa. It was seen as immoral and often thought to involve communion with evil beings.

53 For example as stated elsewhere in this thesis in the West the definition of witchcraft includes the worship of Satan the practice of magic and sorcery. Western scholars have traditionally used the term witchcraft to describe the use of supernatural powers to cause misfortune Which of the following is false about Azande ideas of witchcraft. The range of understandings people have around what causes of illness is considerable from witchcraft and soul loss to germs and.

Witchcraft and sorcery are terms that describe how humans engage with magic. While in the popular imagination the two roles may blur usage is quite conventionalized in anthropology owing to the impact of E. And witchcraft could be thwarted by defensive magic.

Most of these describe African religion in reference to Christianity. This idea comes from the Latin word maleficium which is a magic designed to cause. Witches and sorcerers appear with remarkable consistency among worldviews that posit the existence of magic.

It was used by the witch against their own community. Both a and b. People communicate with spirits through the possessed person.

A shocking series of torture. However out of this concept it is a misnomer to designate African Religion as a primitive religion. The historian Wouter Hanegraaff noted that the Wiccan view of witchcraft was an outgrowth of Romantic semischolarship.

Its meaning varies according to historical and cultural context. He defended his conceptual models and use of terms with regard to British material but signalled the end of. Traditionally witchcraft was believed to be the use of magic to cause harm or misfortune to others.

In this context it was Keith Thomass answer that was particularly significant. Jeffrey Burton Russell A History of Witchcraft London. Powers of witchcraft were believed to have been acquired through inheritance or initiation.

Evans-Pritchards influential study of the Azande. Witchcraft is a general term for the use of magic although it often implies magic meant to harm others. Therefor out of prejudice western scholars used this term to apply to Africa and her religion.

Thus for our purposes we must get to the bottom of these meanings in Hebrew and Greek and see if they compare to anything similar in the Anglo-Saxon based term witchcraft. She urged that Thomass work be not rejected but followed up with a greater awareness of these difficulties. The Western Tradition by Richard M.

The attempt to influence the course of events by ritual means. The word witch derives from the Old English noun wicca sorcerer and the verb wiccian to cast a spell. Thames and Hudson 1980 8.

Western scholars have traditionally used the term witchcraft to describe The use of supernatural powers to cause misfortune Fictional witches associated with Halloween Magical practices for good used by Wiccans None of the above. Witchcraft Trials and Persecution From around 1400 to 1700 in Europe it became very dangerous to be accused of Witchcraft. The English term for malevolent practitioners of magic witch derived from the earlier Old English term wicce.

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft.

Pdf The Regulation Of Witchcraft And Sorcery Practices And Beliefs