Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/799

 THE ROLE OF MAGIC 785

although it involved "religious" action in the sacrifice, was an improved form of that compelling of "the gods" which in primitive culture we term magic' In savage life, the medicine man would himself have performed the ceremonies he judged to be necessary. But the Roman believed with the Australian bush- man that a way existed by which the unseen powers could be made to be propitious. If they were not propitious the fault was because the ceremonies had been wrong or incomplete. Some ceremony existed which would bring the desired effect. The oracles of Greece disclosed this proper way to approach the gods, the prophets of Israel marked out as well the method by which Jahwe could be placated and victory be assured over the gentiles who "knew not Jahwe." Even to propitiate a god by upright conduct is but the socialized counterpart of the muttering of charms ; for in the last analysis the muttering of charms lies also within the sphere of conduct. The spell- worker sets about the accomplishment of his task with hardly more direct purpose than those Christians who keep the commandments or attend church on Sunday in order to obtain divine favor. Their theology itself exhorts them not to doubt in the efficacy of such good works. It is claiming little for religion to exclude from it those actions which are based upon the certainty that its promises will be fulfilled. Religious action is intelligible only upon the assump- tion that it will accomplish something. Whether it will accomp- lish all that is desired or not the basis for the action remains substantially the same. It is only when religion, fertilized by thought, brings forth theologies that Frazer's contrast has a meaning. But then magic is to be contrasted with theology, the questioner, the hypothesis-builder, rather than with religion, the mysterious seat of emotional responses. The black and red threads in the fabric of thought are of the same wool; the color changes in the growing light of thought.

Unless a large part of the history of Christianity lies outside the realm of religion, we must seek for a wider definition. And

'The Latin word religio perfectly expresses these ideas. The naive afTrontery of the Roman attitude toward their gods is as a matter of fact a very direct indication of the pure magic underlying their cult.