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Here is a detailed overview of the contents of *Theoretical and Empirical Investigations of Divination and Magic: Manipulating the Divine*, edited by Jesper Frøkjær Sørensen and Anders Klostergaard Petersen. This overview is based on the chapter-by-chapter breakdown provided in the book:
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Introduction: Manipulating the Divine (Jesper Frøkjær Sørensen & Anders Klostergaard Petersen)
The introduction frames the anthology by addressing the contested nature of the categories "magic" and "divination." It begins with Edward Evans-Pritchard’s study of Azande witchcraft and questions the validity of terms like "witchcraft" and "magic" as analytical categories, pointing to postcolonial critiques and Western biases. The editors discuss the need to refine or redefine these terms to make them analytically productive without losing their critical insights. They also emphasize how divination and magic often coexist as practices that manipulate the supernatural realm for human purposes. The introduction concludes by situating the chapters within broader debates on ritualization, cognitive science, and historical perspectives.
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Part 1: Divination
1.
Divination in the Pseudo-Platonic *Epinomis* (Corby Kelly)
- Explores the treatment of divination in the Pseudo-Platonic *Epinomis* (4th century BCE). Kelly analyzes how divination, categorized as a "necessary art" akin to agriculture or hunting, was downplayed in philosophical discourse. The chapter argues that this categorization diminishes divination’s prestige by associating it with lower-class, utilitarian practices.
2.
The Rhetoric of Divination: A Comparative Approach (Jørgen Podemann Sørensen)
- A comparative study of divinatory practices, including manna-grains, Yijing, Ifa, Delphic oracles, and Tarot. Sørensen highlights the rhetorical devices used in divination: authority, ritual acts, texts, and interpretation. He discusses how divination transforms random patterns into meaningful linguistic signs through interpretation.
3.
The Naturalness of Rhapsodomantics (Anders Klostergaard Petersen)
- Examines "rhapsodomancy," the use of texts like Homer’s works in divination. Petersen combines cognitive science and historical examples (e.g., Winston Churchill’s use of divination) to explore how randomization in rhapsodomantic practices elicits belief in external supernatural guidance.
4.
Evil Eyes and Baking Pies: Aspects of Greek Divination (Dimitris Xygalatas)
- Focuses on divination’s ambivalent role in modern Greek culture, particularly practices like the evil eye and fire-walking rituals of the Anastenaria. Xygalatas discusses the interplay between folk traditions and Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing the enduring cognitive appeal of divinatory practices.
5.
Cognitive Underpinnings of Divinatory Practices (Jesper Frøkjær Sørensen)
- Uses cognitive theories to explain why divination persists across cultures. Sørensen identifies semiotic and temporal variables in divinatory practices, showing how randomness and ritualization facilitate belief in external supernatural agencies.
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Part 2: Magic
6.
The Relationship of Magic and Shamanism in Neuro-Cognitive Perspective (Edward Bever)
- Proposes a neuro-cognitive framework for understanding magic and shamanism as techniques for altering the nervous system. Bever examines early modern European shamanistic practices and their relationship to magical knowledge and altered states of consciousness.
7.
A Spell to Open All Locks and the Place of Magic in Medieval Jewish Society (Gideon Bohak)
- Analyzes a medieval Jewish magical text and explores the tension between emic and etic perspectives. Bohak discusses how medieval Jews categorized certain practices as non-magical while outsiders labeled them as magical.
8.
Demystifying Wittgenstein’s Concept of Magic (Lars Albinus & Lars Madsen)
- Reinterprets Ludwig Wittgenstein’s critique of James Frazer’s *The Golden Bough*. Albinus and Madsen explore Wittgenstein’s view of magic as a deeply ingrained human behavior tied to intentionality and emotional engagement, challenging Frazer’s intellectualist approach.
9.
Controlling the Incontrollable (Jörg Rüpke)
- Examines magic’s role in Graeco-Roman society through Propertius’ poetic texts. Rüpke contrasts the legal and moral discourses surrounding magic with its widespread practical use as a means of controlling fate.
10.
Force and Categorization: Reflections on Marcel Mauss and Henri Hubert’s *Esquisse d’une théorie générale de la magie* (Jesper Frøkjær Sørensen)
- Revisits Mauss and Hubert’s seminal work on magic, focusing on their concept of *mana*. Sørensen integrates cognitive theories to explain the social and cognitive mechanisms that underpin beliefs in magical forces.
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Key Themes and Approaches
- The interplay between
cognitive science and historical anthropology to understand ritualized behaviors like divination and magic.
- Critical examination of the
emic/etic divide, exploring how historical actors and modern scholars conceptualize "magic" and "divination."
- The
ritualization of practices, emphasizing how standardized actions and randomness foster belief in supernatural agency.
- A
comparative approach, juxtaposing traditions from ancient Greece, early modern Europe, modern Greece, medieval Jewish communities, and beyond.
This overview provides a thematic and chapter-wise roadmap of the text. Let me know if you'd like detailed summaries of specific chapters!