Virtuoses ambivalents

This article compares the approaches of two different classes of magicians: entertainers who use illusion to entertain and apostles of Christianity who use illusion to evangelize. Instead of presenting their illusions as a demonstration of skill, these gospel magicians use them as a way of imaging f...

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Main Author: Graham Jones
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Laboratoire d'Ethnologie et de Sociologie Comparative 2011-06-01
Series:Ateliers d'Anthropologie
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/ateliers/8848
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author Graham Jones
author_facet Graham Jones
author_sort Graham Jones
collection DOAJ
description This article compares the approaches of two different classes of magicians: entertainers who use illusion to entertain and apostles of Christianity who use illusion to evangelize. Instead of presenting their illusions as a demonstration of skill, these gospel magicians use them as a way of imaging figuratively the stories and lessons that carry a Christian message. Emphatically denying supernatural powers and scrupulously avoiding any effects that resemble biblical miracles, they take care to present their performances as clever tricks clearly designed to entertain, educate and galvanize. Like their secular counterparts, gospel magicians propose tricks full of virtuosity. But while secular magicians celebrate virtuosity as a central element of magic, gospel magicians minimize its role.
format Article
id doaj-art-bac377f55e0040778ebe18ed20ff9b20
institution Kabale University
issn 2117-3869
language fra
publishDate 2011-06-01
publisher Laboratoire d'Ethnologie et de Sociologie Comparative
record_format Article
series Ateliers d'Anthropologie
spelling doaj-art-bac377f55e0040778ebe18ed20ff9b202025-01-30T13:41:53ZfraLaboratoire d'Ethnologie et de Sociologie ComparativeAteliers d'Anthropologie2117-38692011-06-013510.4000/ateliers.8848Virtuoses ambivalentsGraham JonesThis article compares the approaches of two different classes of magicians: entertainers who use illusion to entertain and apostles of Christianity who use illusion to evangelize. Instead of presenting their illusions as a demonstration of skill, these gospel magicians use them as a way of imaging figuratively the stories and lessons that carry a Christian message. Emphatically denying supernatural powers and scrupulously avoiding any effects that resemble biblical miracles, they take care to present their performances as clever tricks clearly designed to entertain, educate and galvanize. Like their secular counterparts, gospel magicians propose tricks full of virtuosity. But while secular magicians celebrate virtuosity as a central element of magic, gospel magicians minimize its role.https://journals.openedition.org/ateliers/8848illusionmagicprestidigitation
spellingShingle Graham Jones
Virtuoses ambivalents
Ateliers d'Anthropologie
illusion
magic
prestidigitation
title Virtuoses ambivalents
title_full Virtuoses ambivalents
title_fullStr Virtuoses ambivalents
title_full_unstemmed Virtuoses ambivalents
title_short Virtuoses ambivalents
title_sort virtuoses ambivalents
topic illusion
magic
prestidigitation
url https://journals.openedition.org/ateliers/8848
work_keys_str_mv AT grahamjones virtuosesambivalents