What’s the Difference Between Religion and Magic?

Summary

This episode of Crash Course Religions, hosted by John Green, explores the intersection of religion and magic. It examines practices like glossolalia in Christianity, spirit channeling, and traditions such as Hoodoo and Wicca. Green discusses the historical and cultural stigmatization of magic, its overlap with religious rituals, and the blurry boundaries between magic, superstition, and faith. By analyzing anthropological and historical perspectives, the episode emphasizes how magic reflects human attempts to make sense of the world, often empowering marginalized communities and offering resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, is considered a gift from the Holy Spirit in some Christian traditions but has parallels in other practices like spirit mediums speaking with the dead.
• 🔮 Magic and religion often overlap, with magic generally viewed negatively in modern culture, while religion is more accepted.
• 📜 Magic and religion have historically been difficult to differentiate, with some scholars attempting to define them based on community involvement, spiritual beings, or personal practice.
• ⚖️ The term 'magic' has evolved over time, often used to demonize practices and people deemed threatening or strange by mainstream societies, including early Christianity.
• 👩‍🔬 Hoodoo, originating from enslaved Africans in the U.S., is an example of a magical practice that gave marginalized people a sense of power and control over their lives.
• 🧙 Magic in various cultures, like Wicca and tangki spirit mediums, is diverse and can be learned or inherited, often involving rituals to influence the physical world.
• 🌍 Magic and religion are often cultural constructs, with different societies viewing similar practices as either magical or religious depending on their context.
• 🎭 Scholars have debated the definition of magic for centuries, with some seeing it as manipulation of spiritual forces, while others view it as a pejorative term.
• ⚔️ Magic was historically used as a tool of persecution, particularly against women and marginalized communities, as seen in the Salem witch trials.
• 🧩 The distinction between magic and religion is often artificial, and both practices offer people a way to navigate uncertainties and challenges in life.

Q & A

What is glossolalia, and in which tradition is it commonly found?

Glossolalia, or the 'gift of tongues,' is described as a gift from the Holy Spirit that allows the receiver to speak a language they don’t understand. It is commonly found in Christian traditions.

How does glossolalia compare to spirit-medium practices in other cultures?

While glossolalia is seen as a religious experience in Christianity, spirit mediums in other cultures, such as those aiming to speak with the dead, also experience a trance where a new voice flows through them. Both are seen as invoking spiritual forces, but they are categorized differently based on cultural contexts.

What is the difference between a prayer and a spell?

The distinction between a prayer and a spell is often cultural. While prayers are usually seen as invoking spiritual beings in a religious context, spells are viewed as magical actions to manipulate supernatural forces. However, the line between the two can be blurred.

How did the term 'magic' originate, and what was its original meaning?

The word 'magic' comes from the ancient Greek 'mageia,' which was borrowed from the Persian word 'magi.' In ancient Greece, it referred to practices like using amulets and potions for healing and protection. Magic was originally more aligned with philosophy and medicine than with spirituality.

What led to the demonization of magic in medieval Europe?

As Christianity grew in medieval Europe, the Church saw magic as a threat, associating it with devil worship. Magic and witchcraft accusations were often directed at marginalized groups, especially women, and resulted in the execution of thousands.

What did anthropologists like Bronislaw Malinowski and Émile Durkheim say about magic and religion?

Bronislaw Malinowski argued that religion asks spiritual beings for help, while magic manipulates these beings. Émile Durkheim suggested that religion is communal, while magic is more of a solo practice. However, both acknowledged that the boundaries between magic and religion are not always clear.

What role did Hoodoo play in African American communities, and how did Zora Neale Hurston study it?

Hoodoo originated from enslaved Africans in the U.S. who adapted their traditional practices to the oppressive conditions they faced. It included spells and rituals for healing and protection. Zora Neale Hurston, an anthropologist, immersed herself in the study of Hoodoo in the late 1920s, gaining the trust of practitioners and learning their rituals.

How do different traditions view magical practices, particularly in established religions?

Magical practices often overlap with religious rituals in established religions. For example, protective objects and specific phrases of power are found in Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. What might be labeled as 'magic' in one context may be seen as 'miracles' or 'blessings' in others.

How does pop culture contribute to the stigma around magic?

Pop culture has often portrayed magic as something dubious or demonic, contributing to the negative stereotypes around magical practices. Historically, magic has been linked to superstition or deception, further reinforcing these views.

What is the significance of reclaiming magical traditions like brujería in modern times?

Brujería, which has roots in Indigenous practices suppressed by colonizers, is being reclaimed by modern practitioners. Today's brujas use their practices to connect with their ancestors and find balance in their lives, challenging the stigma that has long been associated with their traditions.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Exploring Glossolalia and the Boundaries Between Religion and Magic

John Green introduces glossolalia (speaking in tongues), a practice seen in some Christian traditions, and compares it to spirit mediums in other cultures. He explores how practices like channeling the Holy Spirit are often seen as religious, while others are labeled as magic or superstition. Green raises thought-provoking questions about the differences between spells, prayers, and the line separating religion from magic.

05:03

🔮 Defining Magic Across Traditions

Green discusses how magic, like religion, varies across cultures. He describes magical rituals as personal, goal-oriented, and connected to invisible powers, offering examples like spirit-mediums (tangki) in China and Wicca in Europe. Despite negative stereotypes, magic historically was closer to philosophy and medicine. Green explains that ‘magic’ was often used to discredit unfamiliar practices, even calling Jesus a target of such accusations.

10:04

🔥 Witchcraft and Persecution in History

Tracing magic’s history, Green explains how accusations of witchcraft peaked in medieval Europe, where the Church viewed magic as a threat. He highlights the deadly consequences of such accusations, which disproportionately targeted women and marginalized groups. Green also discusses notable events like the Salem witch trials, stressing how accusations often were directed at those with little societal power.

📜 Evolution of the Word 'Magic' and Scholarly Perspectives

By the 19th century, scholars debated the role of magic, religion, and science in cultural development. Magic was viewed as irrational, yet anthropologists like Malinowski and Durkheim tried to differentiate it from religion based on intentions and social aspects. However, Green notes that defining magic remains complex, with varying scholarly opinions and cultural interpretations, including examples from Islamic and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

💭 Religion, Superstition, and Magic in Personal Practices

Green reflects on his own experiences as a hospital chaplain, where he developed superstitious practices alongside religious ones. He emphasizes how personal rituals, like his prayer habits or Tibetan Buddhist spells, blur the line between magic and religion. Green argues that people often combine religion, magic, and even science to cope with life’s uncertainties, offering examples of protective objects and phrases in different faiths.

🐍 Hoodoo and the Power of Supernatural Solutions

Green shares the story of author Zora Neale Hurston’s immersion in Hoodoo practices in the 1920s. Hoodoo, rooted in African traditions and adapted by enslaved people, offered solutions for everyday struggles, from breakups to protection from violence. Practitioners trained Hurston in spells and rituals, providing supernatural means of empowerment to marginalized communities. Today, some Hoodoo practitioners embrace the term 'magic,' while others see it as simply a way of life.

🏗️ Magic and Rational Thinking in Cultural Context

Anthropologists like E.E. Evans-Pritchard argued that magic isn’t inherently irrational but serves as a strategy to make sense of unpredictable events. Green uses the Azande of South Sudan as an example, where magic and science coexist to explain why accidents happen. He suggests that magical practices answer deeper personal questions that science may overlook, offering a way to manage fear and uncertainty in everyday life.

🔮 Recognizing Magical Practices in Established Religions

Green highlights how magical practices are often embedded in established religions, such as Catholic miracles, Hindu mantras, and protective Muslim amulets. He argues that these practices, labeled as 'magic' in one context, are often accepted as legitimate in another, reflecting the overlapping nature of magic and religion. The popularity of witchcraft on social media and movements like brujería underscore this blending of traditions.

⚡ Reclaiming Magic and Shaping Cultural Categories

Green emphasizes that labels like 'magic' or 'religion' are social constructs shaped by historical power dynamics. He explores how communities, such as modern brujas, are reclaiming stigmatized practices and using them to connect with their ancestry. He concludes by stressing that magic and religion offer pathways for empowerment, resilience, and connection in an uncertain world, demonstrating how these categories can be as flexible as we make them.

🙏 Ending Thoughts and Upcoming Episode Preview

Green wraps up the episode by encouraging viewers to reflect on the malleability of the definitions of magic and religion. He argues that these traditions offer valuable feelings of empowerment and resilience, even in a difficult world. Green teases the next episode, which will explore the question, 'What does it mean to be Hindu?' and credits the Crash Course team for their work in creating the episode.

Keywords

💡Glossolalia

Glossolalia, or the 'gift of tongues,' is described as a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit that allows individuals to speak in languages they do not understand. In the video, this concept is introduced as part of Christian religious experiences, but it is also compared to practices in other spiritual traditions where mediums communicate with spirits in trance-like states. This term helps illustrate the fine line between religious and magical practices.

💡Magic

Magic refers to practices that call on invisible powers to influence the physical world. The video highlights how magic, like religion, varies in definition and practice. It ranges from personal rituals aimed at healing or protection to broader traditions like Hoodoo. The concept of magic is central to the video’s exploration of the overlap between magic and religion, as well as how magic has been historically demonized.

💡Occult

Occult refers to secret or hidden knowledge of supernatural forces. In the video, it is used to describe traditions where individuals can learn magic through study, as opposed to being born with magical abilities, such as in Wicca. The Occult symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge beyond the natural world and ties into the broader theme of how magic and religion offer different pathways to power and understanding.

💡Wicca

Wicca is a modern pagan religion that seeks to revive pre-Christian European spiritual traditions. Practitioners of Wicca often engage in solitary magic but also gather in groups called covens. The video uses Wicca as an example of a tradition that incorporates both magical practices and spiritual beliefs, underscoring the blurred line between religion and magic.

💡Hoodoo

Hoodoo is a spiritual tradition rooted in African rituals that was adapted by enslaved people in America. It involves using knowledge of plants, spirits, and ancestors for healing, protection, or harm. The video discusses Zora Neale Hurston's study of Hoodoo, emphasizing how it empowered marginalized communities and provided practical solutions for life's challenges, blending elements of magic and religion.

💡Mageia

Mageia is the ancient Greek term for magic, derived from the Persian 'magi,' and refers to a broad range of practices for protection, healing, and revenge. The video explains how mageia was historically more akin to philosophy and medicine rather than being viewed as dangerous or evil. Over time, it became a term used to demonize unfamiliar or disliked practices, illustrating how perceptions of magic have evolved.

💡Witchcraft

Witchcraft refers to the practice of magic, often viewed negatively in historical contexts. The video describes how, during medieval and early modern Europe, accusations of witchcraft were often directed at women, especially those who were single or marginalized. Witchcraft became associated with evil or demonic forces, leading to mass executions. This concept shows how cultural fear and prejudice shaped the persecution of certain magical practices.

💡Rationality vs. Magic

Rationality vs. Magic is a theme explored in the video, particularly through the work of anthropologists like E.E. Evans-Pritchard, who argued that magic can coexist with rational thinking. The video gives the example of the Azande, who might attribute an event like a building collapse to both witchcraft and termite infestation. This theme helps to deconstruct the idea that magic is inherently irrational or opposed to science.

💡Brujería

Brujería refers to witchcraft practices with roots in Indigenous and African traditions, which were often stigmatized and demonized by colonizers and the Catholic Church in Latin America and the Afro-Caribbean. The video discusses how modern-day practitioners, or 'brujas,' are reclaiming these practices as sources of balance and ancestral connection. This reflects the ongoing struggle to redefine and reclaim magic in a contemporary context.

💡Siḥr

Siḥr is the Islamic term often translated as 'magic,' but it encompasses a broader range of concepts, including gossip, slander, and supernatural forces. The video mentions how terms like siḥr challenge Western definitions of magic and religion, showing the complexity of translating concepts across cultures. This underscores the video's broader theme of how cultural context shapes our understanding of magic and religion.

Highlights

Glossolalia, or the 'gift of tongues,' is a practice where people speak in a language they don't understand, often seen in Christian traditions.

Magic and religion overlap, and both use invisible powers to influence the physical world, though magic is often viewed as superstition.

Religious experiences and magical practices both involve personal, goal-oriented rituals, like prayers or spells for protection or healing.

Historical views on magic evolved, from the Greek 'mageia,' which was closer to medicine and philosophy, to accusations of witchcraft in medieval Europe.

Magic was demonized by Christian authorities, often targeted at marginalized groups, particularly women, during periods like the Salem witch trials.

By the 19th century, scholars began viewing magic as irrational and a sign of early cultural development, distinct from religion and science.

Anthropologists like Bronislaw Malinowski argued that religions ask for help from spiritual beings, while magic tries to manipulate them.

E.E. Evans-Pritchard and others later suggested that magic and scientific reasoning can coexist, with magical thinking providing explanations for 'why me' scenarios.

Hoodoo, a spiritual practice combining African traditions, was studied by Zora Neale Hurston in the 1920s, revealing how it helped people deal with life’s difficulties.

Magical and religious traditions often reflect social conditions, like how Hoodoo addressed the everyday problems and struggles of Black Americans.

Magical practices, like the use of charms, phrases of power, and rituals, are found in many established religions, blurring the line between magic and religion.

Modern examples include Jewish amulets for protection, Hindu mantras for healing, and Islamic prayers for safety, which serve similar functions to magical rituals.

Catholic miracles, such as weeping statues or Marian apparitions, are examples of magical phenomena found within religious contexts.

Today, many magical practices are becoming more visible and accepted, like witches sharing spells on TikTok and communities reclaiming their traditions.

Categories like 'magic' or 'religion' are socially constructed and can be used to empower or marginalize people depending on societal context.

Ultimately, both magical and religious traditions offer people empowerment, resilience, and connection in an uncertain world.

Transcripts

Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome  to Crash Course Religions. 

In some Christian traditions,  people experience glossolalia,  

or the “gift of tongues.” It’s described as a gift from 

the Holy Spirit that allows the receiver  to speak a language they don’t understand.

But this gift isn’t unique to Christianity. When spirit mediums aim to speak with the dead,  

they sometimes enter a trance where, in  a similar way, a new voice flows through them.

One of these is often recognized as a  religious experience, while the other is  

often considered magic or superstition. So, what’s the difference between a  

spell and a prayer? Between channeling  spirits and channeling the Holy Spirit?

Where’s the line between religion and magic?

[THEME MUSIC]

Like religion, magic means different  things to different people.

Like, to me, it means being terrified as a  child of a man who apparently had the ability  

to spontaneously generate guinea pigs from a top  hat because, as he later explained to my mom,  

rabbits were too expensive. But that’s  not the only definition of magic.

Also like religion, there’s no  one way to do magic. 

The word groups together a bunch of  diverse practices that call on invisible  

powers to influence the physical world. Rituals deemed “magical” are often personal,  

private, and goal-oriented, striving to  heal, defend, or transform someone’s life.

Like when I convince myself that if I  just win this game of video game soccer,  

AFC Wimbledon will win a game of actual  soccer. That’s magical thinking, right?

In some traditions, people  gain magical abilities by chance. 

Like tangki, spirit-mediums in parts of China and  

southeast Asia, who are believed to  heal the sick and bring good luck,  

piercing their own skin as they write  messages from the spirits possessing them.

Only those born at certain times and on  certain dates are capable of becoming tangki.

But in other traditions, anyone can learn  magic by studying the Occult, or secret  

knowledge of supernatural forces. Like Wicca, which aims to revive  

the pagan worldviews of pre-Christian Europe.

Most Wiccans practice magic alone,  but they also come together at  

seasonal gatherings called sabbats  and in networks called covens. 

Because regardless of how it’s practiced, the  idea of “magic” often comes with negative  

stereotypes — some view it as dubious  or even demonic, reserved for sinners,  

charlatans, and people who don’t know better.  And pop culture hasn’t always helped with that.

But it wasn’t always this way. The English word  “magic” comes from the ancient Greek “mageia,”  

a word they got from the Persian “magi.” Which you might recognize as another name  

for the wise men who went all out  for the Virgin Mary’s baby shower.

In ancient Greece, people from all  walks of life sought out things like  

amulets and potions for protection,  healing, and occasional revenge. 

Mageia was seen as closer to philosophy  and medicine than spirituality and religion.

But no one really called their  own practices “mageia.” 

Greek and Roman authorities used the  term to demonize people they didn’t  

like or rituals they found weird or spooky.  In fact, the Greek philosopher Celsus hurled  

allegations of “magic” at someone  you may have heard of—Jesus Christ.

Fast forward to medieval Western Europe, and  these accusations went into overdrive. 

Christianity was growing, and the Church  saw magic as a threat — something that only  

those in league with the devil practiced. Accusations of magic and witchcraft were  

often lobbed at women and people  in marginalized communities,  

and for centuries in Europe and eventually North  America, this had deadly consequences.

It’s estimated that over fifty thousand  people were executed across Europe for  

witchcraft between the 15th and 18th  centuries — the vast majority women,  

and often single women who were deemed dangerous  because they weren’t tied to a man.

In New England, between 1638 and  1725, women with little power  

were disproportionately accused of witchcraft.

During the infamous Salem witch trials of  1692, an enslaved indigenous woman named  

Tituba was one of the first to be accused after  confessing to “signing the devil’s book” and  

bewitching young girls—though scholars today argue  it’s almost certain her confession was coerced.

By the 19th century, the meaning of  the word “magic” had evolved further. 

Scholars saw it as irrational, theorizing that  

magic was the earliest stage of cultural  development, followed by religion, and,  

eventually, science — once a culture  had shaken off its old superstitions.

But no one could agree on where to  draw the line between magic and religion. 

Bronislaw Malinowski argued religions  asked spiritual beings for help while  

magic manipulated those spiritual beings.

Émile Durkheim, meanwhile, said  that religions were communal,

while magic was more of a solo thing.

But whatever the rule, there  were always exceptions to it.

And, even academics today can’t  agree on a definition of magic.

Scholar Drew Wilburn names a variety  of qualities that make something “magic,”  

including attempting to manipulate objects,

and using religious practices  like prayer and sacrifice,  

and performing actions to serve an individual.

Other scholars see magic as a quality of a ritual,  where you’re working toward a specific effect.

Still others see “magic” as a  term that maligns legitimate  

practices and doesn’t have a practical use at all.

And it gets even more complicated when  you consider how to apply these boundaries,  

which were conceptualized in Western  Europe, to the rest of the world.

Like, the Islamic term “siḥr” often gets  translated as “magic,” even though it  

describes things that wouldn’t fit in the  English category — like gossip and slander,  

not just sorcery and demons. Plus, traditions like Tibetan  

Buddhism just aren’t so keyed-up over the  difference between prayers and spells.

And that's something I think about a lot,  

because religion and magic have  often overlapped in my world. 

I used to be a student chaplain at a children’s  hospital, and I developed a private superstition:  

I always laid out my shoes and my  chaplain jacket in a very particular  

way designed to ward off injuries and  illnesses among the kids in the hospital,  

which I guess is a private and superstitious  practice like magic. But I would also pray for  

the protection and health of all children in the  hospital, which I suppose is a religious practice.

It is not just common for these things to  co-exist; I would argue it’s almost inevitable. 

Even those of us who don’t believe in  the supernatural still wish and hope, after all.

While this hierarchy of “magic bad,  religion better, science best,” has a  

long and sordid history, it doesn’t help  us understand why people practice magic. 

Let’s head to the Thought Bubble…

Three snakeskins. A sacrificed sheep. 

Three days and three nights  without food, water, or clothes. 

That’s what it took for author Zora Neale Hurston  to be welcomed into the world of Hoodoo.

Before Hurston was a novelist, she  was an anthropologist. 

She came to New Orleans in the late  1920s to study this closely guarded,  

often misunderstood tradition.

Hoodoo had started with enslaved  people, who adapted west and central  

African rituals at a time when openly  practicing their traditions was a crime. 

Hoodoo combined knowledge of  plants, spirits, and ancestors,  

and was believed to have the  power to hurt people or help them.

Hurston went all-in, earning experts’  trust and training with them for months. 

Some specialized in death. Others had  recipes for changing someone’s mind,  

dealing with a bad landlord, or landing a job. 

They taught her their spells for the hard parts of  life: betrayal, break-ups, gossip, loneliness.

Like, to keep a secret, you could write it down,  

fold the paper up, and slip it into a corpse’s  hands, whispering the secret in its ear. 

Or to split up spouses, you could put dirt  from a fresh grave in the corners of their  

bedroom, while repeating, “Just fuss  and fuss till you go away from here.”

Hoodoo was full of supernatural solutions for  everyday problems, including protection from  

violence — a major concern for  generations of Black Americans. 

And because Hoodoo didn’t shy away from  that reality, it gave a sense of power to  

people who’d been without it for so long. Today, some Hoodoo practitioners embrace  

the “magic” label, while others  claim it's just a way of life. 

Either way, as Hurston wrote in 1931,  

“Nobody knows for sure how many thousands  in America are warmed by the fire of hoodoo.”

Thanks, Thought Bubble. Whether we call it religious,  

spiritual, or magical, traditions  like Hoodoo often reflect the social  

conditions of the people practicing them.

And by the 1930s, anthropologists like  E.E. Evans-Pritchard were starting to argue  

that “magic” wasn’t necessarily  at odds with rational thinking.

People often used both magical and  scientific reasoning to explain events.

For example, if a building  fell down and killed someone,

the Azande of what’s now South Sudan

might suggest witchcraft as  the reason why this terrible  

accident happened at that moment to that person.

But they’d also diagnose that termites had gnawed  the wooden beams and caused it to collapse.

Where science could answer the question “why,” magic could answer the question, “why me?” 

Magical practices are essentially strategies that help people make sense of the world and manage its  

uncertainty, like a 22-year-old chaplain who doesn’t know what the night holds in store.

And, often we see very similar strategies within  

established religions. Consider protective objects, like this Jewish amulet created to  

shield a young girl from evil forces. Or  this shirt wrapped with verses from the  

Qur’an and the ninety-nine names of God, intended to protect the person wearing it.

We also find the use of specific words  or phrases of power in many established

religions. Like the Hindu mantra  “Om navah shivaya,” which people  

repeat to bring healing and calm. Or how some Muslims say ayat-al-kursi twice a  

day for protection. Or how I recite the  Lord’s prayer when I’m on an airplane.

Twice actually, once when it takes off and  

once when it lands. And it’s not weird. Nobody thinks it’s weird.

What might otherwise be called “magic” sometimes goes by another name, like “miracles.” There’s  

a long history of Catholic reports of the  Virgin Mary appearing in shrouds, the sky,  

and statues weeping tears or blood. Some Hindu gurus gain authority through healing,  

mind-reading, and conjuring. And in  Myanmar, Buddhist weizza or “wizards”  

are said to have special powers to  heal, fly, and turn metal into gold.

When we recognize how common magical practices are–even among established religions–we can see  

how they respond to the many uncertainties and fears that make us human. These days,  

magic is as commonplace as good-luck charms and as visible as witches sharing spells on TikTok.

And while some stigma remains from centuries of bad PR,  

many magical communities are reclaiming their identities.

For example, brujería has roots in Indigenous practices that were punished,  

demonized, and driven into hiding by  colonizers and the Catholic Church,  

leading to centuries of stigmatization throughout Latin America and the Afro-Caribbean. But today’s  

brujas are working to reclaim their  image, by talking publicly about how  

their practices help them find balance and a feeling of connection to their ancestors.

It’s important to remember that these  categories are created. They’re created  

by us. And we create categories like “magic” or “religion” to make sense of the world around us.  

They may just be words, but words cast  ideas into the world — and those ideas  

create structure and meaning in societies, building and reinforcing systems of power.

These words can even conjure illusions  — like the idea that some people deserve  

persecution or that their practices are somehow inferior to others’.

But when we part that veil and peer beyond, we can see that the lines that would divide  

us are murky at best. And that the definition of magic is as malleable  

as we need it to be. Sometimes we bend it to wield power, others to fight against it.

But one thing is certain: these traditions  can conjure feelings of empowerment,  

resilience, and connection even in a  world that’s difficult and uncertain.  

And no matter which way you define  it, there’s a certain magic in that.

In our next episode, we’ll ask the question, “What does it mean to be Hindu?” I’ll see you then.

Thanks for watching this episode of Crash Course Religions, which was filmed at our  

studio in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was made with the help of all these nice people. If you  

want to help keep Crash Course free for everyone, forever, you can join our community on Patreon.