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Howard Pyle illustration from the 1903 edition of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Of Miracles and Magic: Christianity’s Uneasy Relationship to the Magical World
​By Mark Storer


In 2019, a schoolteacher in Andover, Massachusetts named Carrie LaPierre set about creating a project for her 8th grade Civics class that dealt with one of early America’s most troubling periods: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

LaPierre’s students spent the better part of a year researching and writing about Elizabeth Johnson, Jr., a woman who was sentenced to death in 1693 for the practice of witchcraft. In a unique act of student research and public advocacy, the students and their teacher addressed state representatives and officials, and finally succeeded in exonerating the last of the so-called ‘Salem Witches’ of her crimes. In July 2022, Governor Charlie Baker signed a budget for the state that included a pardon for Johnson, Jr.
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The Puritans who settled in the Northeastern seaboard of what would later become the United States considered witchcraft to be heretical and associated it with the devil’s influence. They believed witches were capable of ‘sending out their spirits,’ influencing people to make poor decisions, and even inflicting pain or harm on others. Indeed, there are admonitions throughout the Bible—in both Old and New Testaments—about witchcraft and its inherent dangers to those who would seek to use it. While it’s clear that the Bible does condemn the use of magic on several fronts, not all magic was synonymous with witchcraft. Christianity also exists in concert with magic, and not always to the detriment of the user.
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT PRS
    • Manly P. Hall >
      • Manly Hall, A Personal Perspective
      • MPH Reading Group
    • PRS Board & Staff
    • Contributing Artists >
      • Arianne Ayu Alizio
      • Guadalupe Arellanes, PhD
      • Syd Buffman
      • Cecelia Condit
      • LD Deutsch
      • Paige Emery
      • Nailah Hunter
      • Marcella Kroll
      • Matt Marble
      • Brian Merriam
      • Lezley Saar
      • Radha Vishnubhotla
      • Senon Williams
    • Press
  • EVENTS
    • YesterdayLA
    • Visit
    • Accessibility
  • CLASSES
  • PRS ONLINE
    • Classes
    • On Demand
    • Videos >
      • Series
      • Subjects
    • Audio >
      • Seekers' Salon
  • EXHIBITIONS
    • Hansell Gallery
    • THE OUTER PLANETS
  • Library
  • Shop
    • Recent Publications
    • PRS Merch
    • Knapp-Hall Tarot
    • Books by Manly P. Hall >
      • The Secret Teachings
      • The Signature Editions
      • New Editions for Contemporary Seekers
      • Vintage Lecture Notes
      • MPH Essays
      • MPH Book SALE
      • Manly P. Hall Book Bundles
    • MPH Audio >
      • MPH Collection at BetterListen.com
    • MPH E-Books
    • Reprint Series curated by MPH
    • Online Gift Cards (not valid in store)
    • Symbolic Prints and Posters
    • Shipping Update
    • WHOLESALE
  • Rentals
  • BECOME A MEMBER!
  • Support
    • DONATE TODAY!
    • FUNDRAISER FOR PRS!