SPELLS, SORCERERS AND SPIRITS:
Magic and the Occult in the Bible
By Kirsten Birkett
Latimer Trust. 103 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 1 906 327 354
The topic of the occult is difficult, but this recent book by Kirsten Birkett, who lectures at Oak Hill, is one of the most helpful and biblical accounts I have read on the subject.
Ancient magic flowed out of two thoughts. The first is the idea of the inter-connectedness of the universe and ‘magic’ tries to tap into this and control it in some way. The second is that words give access to the creative power of the gods. Language is not just a human invention but reflects an uncreated essence as eternal as the cosmos.
