Elaine’s Reviews > Ritual Boundaries: Magic and Differentiation in Late Antique Christianity (Christianity in Late Antiquity) > Status Update

"FInished chapter 1, which can be summarized by this snippet:

"This Coptic codex ought to remind us, therefore, that Christian objects, which appear to us to blur the boundaries between 'religion' and 'magic,' might in fact simply reflect different configurations of proper and improper ritual—no less stringently demarcated than those promoted in patristic, monastic, and conciliar sources.""

Finished Introduction. The clear outlining of the thesis statements at the section "Structure of the Book" is appreciated. Interesting discussion on the category of "syncretism" as a preliminary to the discussions in the book.

Midway through the Introduction. Particularly fascinating is the discussion on the taxonomical vs definitional characterization of "magic"