DOCSLIB.ORG

Conflicts of Mageia and Miracle in the Acts of the Apostles

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Conflicts of Mageia and Miracle in the Acts of the Apostles CONFLICTS OF MAGEIA AND MIRACLE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: SOCIAL DISCOURSE ON LEGITIMATE AND DEVIANT USE OF SPIRITUAL POWER by Ronald Dennis Roberts Bachelor of Arts, 1998 Mississippi College Clinton, MS Master of Divinity, 2004 George W. Truett Theological Seminary Baylor University Waco, TX Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Brite Divinity School In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Interpretation Fort Worth, TX May 2013 CONCFLICTS OF MAGEIA AND MIRACLE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: SOCIAL DISCOURSE ON LEGITIMATE AND DEVIANT USE OF SPIRITUAL POWER WARREN CARTER, PH.D._____________________________ Dissertation Director SHELLY MATTHEWS, D.TH.__________________________ Reader FRANCISCO LOZADA, JR., PH.D.______________________ Reader JEFFREY WILLIAMS, PH.D.___________________________ Associate Dean for Academic Affairs JORETTA MARSHALL, PH.D.__________________________ Dean WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish photocopy or reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research. If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. CONTENTS Table of Contents . iv List of Additional Abbreviations . vii List of Figures and Tables . viii Preface . ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING MAGEIA-MIRACLE CONFLICTS IN ACTS . 1 I. Studying Magei/a and Magic . 3 II. Magic in the Social Sciences . 14 III. The Social Sciences and Ancient Texts . 18 IV. A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Magei/a in Acts . 25 V. Wonder-Working Competitions for Legitimacy and Authority . 30 VI. Outline of the Study . 30 CHAPTER 2: SOCIAL-SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES TO MAGIC . 34 I. James George Frazer’s Intellectualist Theory of Magic . 35 II. The Sociological Approach to Magic . 40 III. E. E. Evans-Pritchard’s Approach to African Witchcraft and Magic . 54 IV. Symbolist Approach to Magic . 64 V. Neo-Intellectualist Approach to Magic . 71 VI. Conclusion . 77 CHAPTER 3: GRECO-ROMAN MAGIC AND MIRACLE IN PREVIOUS HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP . 81 iv I. Analysis of Approaches to Magic in the Greco-Roman World . 81 II. Analysis of Studies of Magic in Acts . 106 III. Summary Analysis . 126 CHAPTER 4: ANALYZING MAGEIA-MIRACLE CONFLICTS IN ACTS . 131 I. Social-Scientific Critical Study of Magic in Acts . 132 II. Deviance and Identity in Magei/a-Miracle Conflicts . 148 III. Conclusion . 193 CHAPTER 5: INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF MIRACLE-WORKER IDENTITY IN ACTS 1–7 . 194 I. Pentecost: The Coming of the Holy Spirit and Power (Acts 2) . 195 II. Miracle-Working in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 3–7) . 245 III. Character Sketch of Miracle-Workers in Acts 1–7. 266 CHAPTER 6: MAGEIA AND MIRALCES IN SAMARIA (ACTS 8:4–25) . 285 I. The First Samaritan Mission (Acts 8:4–25) . 288 II. Developing Further the Miracle-Worker . 337 III. Plotting Characters from Acts 8:4–25 onto the Model (Diagram 6.1) . 342 CHAPTER 7: PAUL DEFEATS A JUDEAN MAGOS ON CYPRUS (ACTS 13:4–12) . 346 I. Magei/a-Miracle Conflict between Judeans among Gentiles (Acts 13:4–12) . 353 II. Development of the Miracle-Worker Character Type in Acts 13:4–12 . 390 III. Plotting the Characters from Acts 13:4–12 onto the Model (Diagram 7.1) . 394 CHAPTER 8: PAUL CONFRONTS A MEDIUMISTIC DIVINER (ACTS 16:16–18) . 399 I. Paul Encounters a Divining Slave in Philippi (Acts 16:16–18) . 404 v II. Developing the Identity of Miracle-Workers in Acts 16:16–18 . 444 III. Plotting the Characters from Acts 16:16–18 onto the Model (Diagram 8.1) . 453 CHAPTER 9: JUDEAN EXORCISTS IN EPHESUS (ACTS 19:8–20) . 457 I. Miracle and Magei/a in Ephesus (Acts 19:8–20) . 464 II. The Development of the Miracle-Worker Character Type in Acts 19:8–20 . 502 III. Plotting the Wonder-Working Characters in Acts 19:8–20 onto the Model (Diagram 9.2) . 506 IV. The Development of the Miracle-Worker Character Type in Acts 20–28 . 509 CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION; THE LEGITIMATION OF MIRACLE-WORKING IN ACTS. 513 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 525 vi LISTS ADDITIONAL ABBREVIATIONS All abbreviations in this dissertation are from the SBL Handbook of Style for Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies, eds. Patrick H. Alexander and others (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999). The following abbreviations are used in addition to those found in the SBL Handbook of Style. Africa Africa: Journal of the International African Institute ASAM A.S.A. Monographs BCENT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament ELH ELH: English Literary History FN Filologia Neotestamentaria JPT Journal of Pentecostal Theology JPTSup Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series JRAI Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, formerly Man (1901–1994) JRAIGB The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (1907–1965), absorbed into Man in 1965 LNTS Library of New Testament Studies RAIN Royal Anthropological Institute News TPAPA Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, former name of Transaction of the American Philological Association (TAPA) vii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1. Witch as outsider pattern . 60 2.2. Witch as insider pattern . 61 4.1. Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts . 190 5.1. Class structure of advanced agrarian societies . 228 5.2. Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts 1–7 . 284 6.1. Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts 8:4–25 . 345 7.1. Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts 13:4–12 . 398 8.1. Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts 16:16–18 . 456 9.1. Human-spirit social relations in Acts 19:13–16 . 482 9.2 Model for categorizing wonder-workers in Acts 19:8–20 . 508 10.1 Model categorizing wonder-workers in Acts . 521 Tables 5.1. Poverty scale for Greco-Roman society . 231 5.2. Characteristics of miracle-workers in Acts 1–7 . 280 6.1. Additional characteristics of miracle-workers in Acts 8:4–25 . 341 7.1. Additional characteristics of miracle-workers in Acts 13:4–12 . 393 10.1. Characteristics of a prototypical miracle-worker in Acts . 516 viii PREFACE Much hard work and sacrifice has gone into the production of this dissertation. The majority of the sacrifices were made by many whose names are not listed on the title page. The initial ideas for this study developed in the fall of 2007 during two class taught by Dr. Carolyn Osiek, my faculty advisor at the time. Papers in these classes formed the basis for chs. 6 and 8. Following Dr. Osiek’s retirement at the end of my coursework, I asked Dr. Warren Carter to serve as my dissertation director. I hoped that Dr. Carter’s attention to detail and excellence that were characteristic of his own academic writing instruction would carry over into his role as dissertation director, and this certainly has been the case. Thus, I would like to thank Dr. Carter for his diligence and his endurance in reading and commenting on the unpolished, initial drafts of each chapter of this study. Furthermore, Dr. Carter has my deepest gratitude for his desire to see excellence in my work and for his immense patience over the last few years. I would also like to thank the other members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Shelly Matthews and Dr. Francisco Lozada, for their time in reading and commenting on this project. Dr. Matthews, whose own work concentrates on the book of Acts, has provided very valuable, albeit at times challenging insights. I would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Willaims, Dean of Academic Affairs at Brite Divinity School, for his encouragement and prodding aimed at making sure that I finish. In addition, Brite Divinity School’s NT Testament colloquium discussed ch. 6 in the fall of 2012, and that discussion not only strengthened ch. 6 but the entire dissertation. Many thanks go to the Context Group, who have always supported and contributed to my development as a social-scientific critic of the Bible. Among my fellow students that have provided valuable support, ix three of them deserve special thanks for their help and friendship—Coleman “J. C.” Baker, Nathan Barnes, and Jason Lamoreaux. The hardest work and costliest sacrifices performed for my dissertation, however, have come from those closest to me. To my parents, Russ and Charlotte Roberts, mere words cannot express my love and gratitude for your never ending love, encouraging support, and occasional financial assistance. For my grandmother, who wished I visited more, many thanks for understanding. To my wife’s family, the Aguilares, I express my thanks for often providing needed social diversions, baby sitters, and teaching me how to celebrate the really big moments in life, such as birthdays, vacations, and family holidays. For the two most important people in my life, Elizabeth and Russell, I reserve the greatest gratitude and love. To Russell, who does not understand why Daddy was always reading or writing, I apologize for all the missed sunny afternoons in the park, and I thank you for all your love and hugs. To Elizabeth, who has made more sacrifices of time, money, opportunities, and thousands of other little things that we take for granted every day, I say thank you.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bringing Cultural Practice Into Law: Ritual and Social Norms Jurisprudence Andrew J
    Santa Clara Law Review Volume 43 | Number 2 Article 2 1-1-2003 Bringing Cultural Practice Into Law: Ritual and Social Norms Jurisprudence Andrew J. Cappel Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/lawreview Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Andrew J. Cappel, Bringing Cultural Practice Into Law: Ritual and Social Norms Jurisprudence, 43 Santa Clara L. Rev. 389 (2003). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/lawreview/vol43/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Santa Clara Law Review by an authorized administrator of Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BRINGING CULTURAL PRACTICE INTO LAW: RITUAL AND SOCIAL NORMS JURISPRUDENCE Andrew J. Cappel* I. INTRODUCTION The past decade has witnessed an explosive growth in legal scholarship dealing with the problem of informal social norms and their relationship to formal law.1 This article highlights a sa- * Associate Professor of Law, St. Thomas University Law School. J.D., Yale Law School; M.Phil., Yale University; B.A., Yale College. I would like to thank Bruce Ackerman and Stanley Fish, both of whom read prior versions of this paper, for their help and advice. I also wish to thank Robert Ellickson for his encourage- ment in this project. In addition, valuable suggestions were made by participants when a version of this paper was presented at the 2000 Law and Society conference in Miami. Among the many of my present and former colleagues at St.
    [Show full text]
  • Looking at Femininity Sympodcast Programme
    Looking at Femininity Sympodcast Cardiff University Twitter: @AtFemininity Instagram: @lookingatfemininity Lookingatfemininity.wordpress.com 2 Episode Panel Air Date Title: Early Twentieth Century Challenges to Femininity Monday 1 February 2021 @ Speakers: 10am 1 Rebekka Jolley Ellye Van Grieken Jessica McIvor Title: Mobile Femininity Monday 15 February 2021 @ Speakers: 10am Caleb Sivyer 2 Devika Karnard Christina Thatcher Joan Passey Title: Centre-Staged Bodies Monday 1 March 2021 @ Speakers: 10am 3 Eve Froude Sarah Merton Maria Manning Title: The Surreal-Feminine: Being and Looking Monday 15 March 2021 @ Speakers: 10am 4 Alessia Zinnari Christy Heflin Nadia Albaladejo Garcia Title: Musings of The Debutante Coven Monday 29 March 2021 @ Speakers: 10am 5 Molly Gilroy Rachel Ashenden Tasmin Petrie Title: Girlhood/YA Monday 12 April 2021 @ 10am Speakers: 6 Rosie Couch Lewis Kellet Heather J. Matthews Title: Masculine Femininities Monday 26 April 2021 @ 10am Speakers: 7 Olivia Howe Martha O’Brien Title: Artistic Disruption Monday 10 May 2021 @ 10 Speakers: am 8 Dorka Tamás Rachel Carney Marilia Kaisar 3 Episode 1: Early Twentieth Century Challenges to Femininity Speakers: Rebekka Jolley, Ellye Van Grieken, Jessica McIvor ‘Ladies there is no neutral position for us to assume’: Femininity and Performative Acts in Gertrude Stein’s Ladies Voices, Counting her Dresses, and White Wines. Rebekka Jolley (Liverpool Hope University) Gertrude Stein’s opera The Mother of Us All (1946) is based on the life of Susan B. Anthony a social reformer and part of the women’s suffrage movement. The character of Susan B. Anthony states ‘‘Ladies there is no neutral position for us to assume’ (p.70).
    [Show full text]
  • Children's Ethnobiological Notions Of
    Journal of Ethnobiology 2018 38(2): 261–275 Children’s Ethnobiological Notions of Contamination and Contagions among Maasai Agro-Pastoralists of Northern Tanzania Jennifer W. Roulette1*, Casey J. Roulette 2, Robert J. Quinlan1,3, Douglas R. Call3,4, Barry S. Hewlett1, Mark A. Caudell1,3, and Marsha B. Quinlan1,3 Abstract. Humans and other living organisms harbor disease-causing pathogenic microorganisms. These microorganisms are often transmitted through physical contact with contaminated objects, such as food, water, or other people. While some theoretical and empirical research examines the ontogeny of contamination and contagion beliefs, cross-cultural research on this topic is limited. To help remedy this paucity of data, we conducted an ethnobiological study of contagion and contamination beliefs among Maasai children (n = 42) in the Simanjiro district, Tanzania. Participants include 36 middle-aged schoolchildren and six four-year-olds. We contrast the children’s beliefs with those of 12 local adults. To measure children’s views of contagion and contamination, we developed sentence-framed yes/no elicitation tasks using three different stimuli—a fly, a cough, and a cough from someone with respiratory symptoms. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted to further understand children’s ethnotheories of contamination and contagion. Children generally reported that coughs and flies are directly contaminating, whereas they offered mixed results for associational and indirect contamination. Children discussed time, psychological contagion, saliva, wind, and the supernatural/natural as key elements to their beliefs, reasons, and personal actions taken to minimize contamination/contagion risk. We found education to be significantly positively correlated with children reporting that flies and coughs were directly contaminating, while age had no effect.
    [Show full text]
  • Paranormal, Superstitious, Magical, and Religious Beliefs
    Paranormal, superstitious, magical, and religious beliefs Kia Aarnio Department of Psychology University of Helsinki, Finland Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by due permission of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences at the University of Helsinki in Auditorium XII, Fabianinkatu 33, on the 19th of October, 2007, at 12 o’clock UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Department of Psychology Studies 44: 2007 2 Supervisor Marjaana Lindeman, PhD Department of Psychology University of Helsinki Finland Reviewers Professor Stuart Vyse Department of Psychology Connecticut College USA Timo Kaitaro, PhD Department of Law University of Joensuu Finland Opponent Professor Pekka Niemi Department of Psychology University of Turku Finland ISSN 0781-8254 ISBN 978-952-10-4201-0 (pbk.) ISBN 978-952-10-4202-7 (PDF) http://www.ethesis.helsinki.fi Helsinki University Printing House Helsinki 2007 3 CONTENTS ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................... 6 TIIVISTELMÄ ....................................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................... 8 LIST OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS ................................................................................ 10 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 11 1.1. Defining paranormal beliefs 12 1.1.1.
    [Show full text]
  • DIANA PATON & MAARIT FORDE, Editors
    diana paton & maarit forde, editors ObeahThe Politics of Caribbean and Religion and Healing Other Powers Obeah and Other Powers The Politics of Caribbean Religion and Healing diana paton & maarit forde, editors duke university press durham & london 2012 ∫ 2012 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper $ Designed by Katy Clove Typeset in Arno Pro by Keystone Typesetting, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data appear on the last printed page of this book. Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of Newcastle University, which provided funds toward the production of this book. Foreword erna brodber One afternoon when I was six and in standard 2, sitting quietly while the teacher, Mr. Grant, wrote our assignment on the blackboard, I heard a girl scream as if she were frightened. Mr. Grant must have heard it, too, for he turned as if to see whether that frightened scream had come from one of us, his charges. My classmates looked at me. Which wasn’t strange: I had a reputation for knowing the answer. They must have thought I would know about the scream. As it happened, all I could think about was how strange, just at the time when I needed it, the girl had screamed. I had been swimming through the clouds, unwillingly connected to a small party of adults who were purposefully going somewhere, a destination I sud- denly sensed meant danger for me. Naturally I didn’t want to go any further with them, but I didn’t know how to communicate this to adults and ones intent on doing me harm.
    [Show full text]
  • A British Reflection: the Relationship Between Dante's Comedy and The
    A British Reflection: the Relationship between Dante’s Comedy and the Italian Fascist Movement and Regime during the 1920s and 1930s with references to the Risorgimento. Keon Esky A thesis submitted in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. University of Sydney 2016 KEON ESKY Fig. 1 Raffaello Sanzio, ‘La Disputa’ (detail) 1510-11, Fresco - Stanza della Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. KEON ESKY ii I dedicate this thesis to my late father who would have wanted me to embark on such a journey, and to my partner who with patience and love has never stopped believing that I could do it. KEON ESKY iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis owes a debt of gratitude to many people in many different countries, and indeed continents. They have all contributed in various measures to the completion of this endeavour. However, this study is deeply indebted first and foremost to my supervisor Dr. Francesco Borghesi. Without his assistance throughout these many years, this thesis would not have been possible. For his support, patience, motivation, and vast knowledge I shall be forever thankful. He truly was my Virgil. Besides my supervisor, I would like to thank the whole Department of Italian Studies at the University of Sydney, who have patiently worked with me and assisted me when I needed it. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Rubino and the rest of the committees that in the years have formed the panel for the Annual Reviews for their insightful comments and encouragement, but equally for their firm questioning, which helped me widening the scope of my research and accept other perspectives.
    [Show full text]
  • IT's a WINNER! Refl Ecting All That's Great About British Dinghy Sailing
    ALeXAnDRA PALACe, LOnDOn 3-4 March 2012 IT'S A WINNER! Refl ecting all that's great about British dinghy sailing 1647 DS Guide (52).indd 1 24/01/2012 11:45 Y&Y AD_20_01-12_PDF.pdf 23/1/12 10:50:21 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K The latest evolution in Sailing Hikepant Technology. Silicon Liquid Seam: strongest, lightest & most flexible seams. D3O Technology: highest performance shock absorption, impact protection solutions. Untitled-12 1 23/01/2012 11:28 CONTENTS SHOW ATTRACTIONS 04 Talks, seminars, plus how to get to the show and where to eat – all you need to make the most out of your visit AN OLYMPICS AT HOME 10 Andy Rice speaks to Stephen ‘Sparky’ Parks about the plus and minus points for Britain's sailing team as they prepare for an Olympic Games on home waters SAIL FOR GOLD 17 How your club can get involved in celebrating the 2012 Olympics SHOW SHOPPING 19 A range of the kit and equipment on display photo: rya* photo: CLubS 23 Whether you are looking for your first club, are moving to another part of the country, or looking for a championship venue, there are plenty to choose WELCOME SHOW MAP enjoy what’s great about British dinghy sailing 26 Floor plans plus an A-Z of exhibitors at the 2012 RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SCHOOLS he RYA Volvo Dinghy Show The show features a host of exhibitors from 29 Places to learn, or improve returns for another year to the the latest hi-tech dinghies for the fast and your skills historical Alexandra Palace furious to the more traditional (and stable!) in London.
    [Show full text]
  • November 2001 Luffwire
    Luff Wire Columbia Basin Sailing Club Tri-Cities, Washington “All the News That Fits” November 2001 Member US Sailing Association CBSC on the Web http://www.concentric.net/~greblach/cbsc.htm Commodore Roger McVicker 375-0438 Past Commodore Richard Quigley 783-8348 Vice Commodore Dave Gilles 943-1769 Race Chairman Ken Nelson 783-1581 Treasurer Allan Brothers 545-4589 Desert Regatta Ken Nelson 783-1581 Secretary Scott Petersen 627-6694 Rescue Boat Dennis Trimble 783-6435 Editor Wanda Haddon 783-1581 Librarian Terry Filson 946-3301 From The Commodore At November's meeting we continued the nomination process for the officers for the Year 2002 and the nominees are: Commodore, Dave Gilles; Vice Commodore, Scott Peterson; Secretary, Terry Filson; and Treasurer, Allan Brothers. There will be opportunity to nominate from the floor prior to the election at the next meeting on December 12th at the club 7:30 pm. I hope for a good turn out at this meeting. In January our meeting will be the Van Ramsdell, Max Mehren, and Al Hopp blast to weather at Inverness in August giving the newest Flying Scot in our fleet (FS 5407) a grand break in while awards banquet and the covering the Inverness Yacht Club's newest Flying Scot (FS 5304). installation of the new officers. This will be held at the Pasco Airport at Florentyna’s Restaurant from 6:30 to 9:30 on January 19th. As you will recall, this was a great location and the food was terrific last year and they promise to duplicate it this year.
    [Show full text]
  • Blast Reaching at the NSW States Photos Neil Waterman ©
    Blast Reaching at the NSW States Photos Neil Waterman © Volume 153 June 2006 NS14 Bulletin President’s Message First of all I would like to introduce myself to those who don’t know me as by virtue of being elected NSW President I am also the National President under the current constitution. This will change under the proposed revisions to the constitution whereby the President will be elected. I have been in NSs for 20 years mainly based at Northbridge although I have moved in and out of the Association as Hugh and Penny’s boat interests have changed (eg FAs, Lasers, MGs, 29ers, 16’ skiffs, and yachts). This has allowed me to have some exposure as to how other classes are run. For the last couple of seasons we have had three NSs in the family and I am keen to see the class get back to the strength it had a number of years ago. In this context I would like to outline a number of actions I think we need to take to help rejuvenate the class and bring the numbers participating at a class level back to where we used to be. There is no doubt there is a lot more competition for people’s time nowadays, but I feel that we have an opportunity to position this class as a great way for people to use the time they have. The key challenges are to get people sailing in regattas and to get people building new boats again. First, I think we need to market the NS14 using the strengths of the class to demonstrate that this class will suit a broad spectrum of sailors.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    BOOK REVIEWS G. E.R. LLOYD, Demystifying Mentalities [Themes in the Social Sciences], Cambridge etc.: Cambridge University Press 1990. viii, 156 pp., Bibliography Index. £27.50/£10.95//$49.50/$14.95. Geoffrey Lloyd belongs to that illustrious line of Cambridge classicists who have found anthropology useful for their own work and have then contributed to it. The value of this contribution has been duly recognized by anthropo]ogists, who have asked him to give some of their most important lectures. Two of the four chapters that constitute this book were, in their original form, the 1985 Rivers lecture at Cambridge and the 1987 Frazer lecture in Oxford. Not surprisingly then, this work addresses a question of central interest to anthropologists: 'What is the validity and usefulness of the notion of mentalities?' (p. 1). Lloyd points out that although Uvy-Bruhl's distinction between two 'mentalities' has been much criticized, in fact the idea of different mentalities has been widely adopted in many disciplines, especially in France. The problem is that there is no definition of 'mentality', and the term is used in a variety of senses. Furthermore, which criteria are to be employed in distinguishing between different mentalities is not clear, nor has the question of how mentalities change been addressed. Lloyd sets out to examine the whole question with reference to classical Greek thought, which is so often regarded as the origin of our own scientific rationality. He also attempts to place the development of the ideas within the political and economic setting of the period, so that they are rooted in a particular social context.
    [Show full text]
  • Sympathetic Magic in Disgust and Other Domains
    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Copyright 1586 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 1986, Vol. SO, No. 4, 703-712 0022-3514/86/$00,75 Operation of the Laws of Sympathetic Magic in Disgust and Other Domains Paul Rozin, Linda Millman, and Carol Nemeroff University of Pennsylvania Two laws of sympathetic magic were described by Frazer and Mauss at the beginning of this century to account for magical belief systems in traditional cultures. In this study, we show that these laws fit well with a variety of behaviors in American culture, in responses to disgusting, dangerous, or valued objects. The first law, contagion, holds that "once in contact, always in contact." That is, there can be a permanent transfer of properties from one object (usually animate) to another by brief contact. For example, in this study we show that drinks that have briefly contacted a sterilized, dead cockroach become undesirable, or that laundered shirts previously worn by a disliked person are less desirable than those previously worn by a liked or neutral person. The second law, similarity, holds that "the image equals the object," and that action taken on an object affects similar objects. In this study, we demonstrate this law by showing, for example, that people reject acceptable foods (e.g., fudge) shaped into a form that represents a disgusting object (dog feces), or that people are less accurate at throwing darts at pictures of the faces of people they like. With these and other measures, we found a great deal of evidence for the operation of the laws of sympathetic magic in all 50 of the subjects we studied.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dart "All the News That Is Fitting and to the Point."
    The Dart "All the news that is fitting and to the point." Volume 9, Issue 3 Spring 2010 Student Council Elections Mr. Rossini were able to get us through this by Jay Daukas season by helping us bear down and just fight The ninth grade class president spot had through every inning. They taught us to try to several bidders. One of them, Christian Kelly, a win every inning on offense and defense. We had veteran of the student council, ran again for a some good pitchers, but at times our fielding second term, but Charlie Canty came out on top didn’t help them out. Mr. Doherty was also good in the voting. The vice-presidential election was with the fact that he was able to keep our not as hard to win. Running unopposed, Jay pitchers calm, helping us get through the inning Daukas was elected. The new ninth grade class without allowing many runs in. The season representatives have promised some of the same started out against Belmont Hill, but after the things. Both aspire to bringing more activities for first inning they were already up 2-0. We ended the ninth grade, such as a trip to Six Flags. up losing 10-1, but then again it was only our Though the class representatives are new, they first game. In our game against Thayer, we were could do great things. down 7-2 going into the fifth inning when Justin Nicklas started off the inning with a single. The next batter, Aturo Adkins, followed up with a bomb to right field that should have been a homerun, but the umpire missed where the ball landed, and Aturo ended up on third base.
    [Show full text]