Magic in the Air: How Intellectuals Invented the Myth of a Mythless Society
Author Jason Josephson-Storm answers RD’s 10 Questions
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Trump’s Magical Appeal: A Dated Anthropologist Offers Clues
There’s a new cottage industry devoted to explanations of the quasi-mystical appeal of Donald Trump….
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The Real (and More Interesting) World Behind Magic in the Moonlight
It struck me, when reading Brook Wilensky-Lanford’s review of Magic in the Moonlight—in which she notes…
Read MoreWhy Hipsters May Be Perfect Source for Brooklyn Occult Revival
For several months there have been claims of an occult revival in New York City. Much like…
Read MoreIs it Blasphemous to Describe Science as “Magic”?
Depends on what you mean by magic.
Read MoreThe Magic of the Higgs Boson Particle
“Pink elephants, waiting to pop out,” and other scientific turns of phrase…
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Penn Jillette’s Signs You May Already Be an Atheist
Everyone is an expert when it comes to religion. Those of us in the discipline are well acquainted with the fact that religious convictions are strongly held even by those with no formal training. They can often explain why they believe what they do. At length. This is the dilemma of the religion…
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The Trouble With Harry (Potter): Religious Conservatives Do Have Something to Fear
Harry Potter’s world would be more familiar to a scientist than to a mystic. Yes, it includes goblins, charms, and curses; but these are all basically explicable according to their own internal logic. Yet there isn’t anything that transcends human knowledge.
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Death of a Self-Proclaimed God-Man: Sai Baba’s Controversial Career
Reflecting on Sai Baba’s life, one encounters moments of divine transformation, devotion, and public service as well as pain, death, and heinous accusations. Millions of devotees believed in and worshiped Sai Baba as a god-man, an avatar of God. Many also despised him as a charlatan, a sexual abuser, and even an accessory to murder.
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Bad Magic: Voodoo According to Disney
Disney’s first black heroine, yes, but this is a case of one step forward, two steps back—the film’s representation of Voodoo is prejudiced and misinformed.
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