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Zusatztext The Anthropology of Magic is an important book. In a very readable fashion Greenwood brings together a diverse set of theories and examples from fieldwork! including her own... This makes the book perfect for a text for undergraduates in courses ranging from anthropology of religion to courses on contemporary magical practitioners and Pagan Studies. Informationen zum Autor Susan Greenwood is Visiting Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex Klappentext Magic is arguably the least understood subject in anthropology today. Exotic and fascinating, it offers us a glimpse into another world but it also threatens to undermine the foundations of anthropology due to its supposed irrational and non-scientific nature. Magic has thus often been 'explained away' by social or psychological reduction. The Anthropology of Magic redresses the balance and brings magic, as an aspect of consciousness, into focus through the use of classic texts and cutting-edge research. Suitable for student and scholar alike, The Anthropology of Magic updates a classical anthropological debate concerning the nature of human experience. A key theme is that human beings everywhere have the potential for magical consciousness. Taking a new approach to some perennial topics in anthropology - such as shamanism, mythology, witchcraft and healing - the book raises crucial theoretical and methodological issues to provide the reader with an engaging and critical understanding of the dynamics of magic.Join the live discussion on Facebook! Zusammenfassung Magic is arguably the least understood subject in anthropology today. Exotic and fascinating, it offers us a glimpse into another world but it also threatens to undermine the foundations of anthropology due to its supposed irrational and non-scientific nature. Magic has thus often been 'explained away' by social or psychological reduction. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction SECTION ONE: EXPLAINING MAGIC 1 Mystical Mentality 2 Participation 3 Magical Connections and Associations SECTION TWO: THE EXPERIENCE OF MAGIC 4 Magical Consciousness 5 A Mythological Language of Magic SECTION THREE: PRACTICAL MAGIC 6 Webs of Beliefs 7 Magic in Everyday Life SECTION FOUR: WORKING WITH MAGIC 8 The Nature of Reality 9 'Not Only, But Also': A New Attitude to Science...
List of contents
Introduction SECTION ONE: EXPLAINING MAGIC 1 Mystical Mentality 2 Participation 3 Magical Connections and Associations SECTION TWO: THE EXPERIENCE OF MAGIC 4 Magical Consciousness 5 A Mythological Language of Magic SECTION THREE: PRACTICAL MAGIC 6 Webs of Beliefs 7 Magic in Everyday Life SECTION FOUR: WORKING WITH MAGIC 8 The Nature of Reality 9 'Not Only, But Also': A New Attitude to Science
Report
An interesting read and a timely contribution to theories of magic, as it takes a fresh and contemporary approach to the much maligned topic of magic. The author shows us that magic is a human experience which deserves more thorough investigation. - Journal of Contemporary Religion
