Religion Is Magic: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Faith is amazing. Faith is powerful. Faith can start wars, convince someone to live a life of charity and wholesomeness, and move mountains. We all bind up faith in different ways, with different belief systems and different values.

Generally, the more well known religions see this less, as most people will have met a rabbi, a priest, or an imam (walking into a bar optional), and noticed the lack of spellcasting. The connection between religion and the [[If Jesus, Then Aliens|mysterious]] is still common, as is the portrayal of priests, especially [[Christianity Is Catholic|Catholics]] (and, though not nearly as popular for whatever reason, Eastern Orthodox with the Mysteries), as someone [[Mr. Exposition|well versed]] in magic and lore. There are a handful of religions that will nearly ''always'' get this treatment, particularly [[Hollywood Voodoo|Voodoo]] and [[Magical Native American|any sort of native faith]]. The former does have a sort of magic associated with it, but it's called Hoodoo, not Voodoo.

 

 

See [[Magical Native American]] for an example of a subtrope of this phenomenon. Related to [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe]] and often accompanied by [[Sadly Mythtaken]].

 

{{examples}}

 

=== [[Real Life]] ===

* For an inversion, St Augustine asserted that the Church could not follow the Biblical command of "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live", because magic and witches did not exist and most "magic", such as astrology, did not actually work, so at worse witches were con artists and at best simply dumb. A side effect of this is that, contrary to popular belief, neither the Catholic Church nor any of the Inquisitions endorsed or officially carried out any executions of witches, because witches weren't real. On the occasions that did happen it was either overzealous and ill-informed priests acting without sanction, or much more commonly secular courts or mobs acting alone, especially before the Reformation. In addition, "witchcraft" was vaguely defined and in practice often covered crimes like poisoning.

 

=== [[Western Animation]] ===

* Subverted in ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'', where the priests' "powers" are nothing more than showmanship and sleight-of-hand tricks.

** The above is correct, despite the common notion that it means you aren't supposed to say "Oh my God." That idea is made doubly ridiculous by the fact that "God" is not YHWH's name. The commandment probably also has something to do with not swearing false oaths by God, or using God as an excuse to do evil things, like start wars (at least, wars he didn't tell you to start, which he was pretty big on in the Old Testament).

 

=== [[Comic Books]] ===

 

=== [[Film]] ===

 

=== [[Western Animation]] ===

* Hadji from ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' is a Hindu boy who uses the all-purpose incantation "Sim, Sim, Salabim" to perform a number of magical feats.

 

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* The Kougonshuu in ''[[Shikabane Hime]]'' is a fictional Buddhist sect that trains their priests and monks in a variety of magical skills, most notably the creation of undead-slaying Shikabane Hime.

 

* Mentioned to exist in ''[[Touhou]]'' (and Shou may actually use it), but the majority of the Buddhist characters use their natural power or other aquired abilities when they need to fight.

 

** An interesting note is how matter of fact the treatment of the supernatural can be in some Buddhist traditions. For example, in many Tibetan monestaries part of the oath you take when you become a monk is that you are not a spirit disguised as a human being. Other monasteries are placed specifically to be bindings for demons, oracles and divinations are fairly common practice for lamas, and there are many lamas who have repeatedly reincarnated and continued their teaching. Part of the reason Chinas destruction of monasteries and abuse of monks during the cultural revolution was so devastating was the way knowledge of the spiritual landscape and the wereabouts of reincarnated lamas was lost.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* ''[[Rozen Maiden]]'' as manga only Kirakishoo's artificial spirit is Sufi!

* The kooky holy man from ''[[Romancing the Stone|The Jewel Of The Nile]]'' may or may not have walked through fire without harm; certainly it ''looks'' like he does, and the locals who witness this feat believe it's a miracle, but it could just be the camera angle.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* The [[wikipedia:Tree of Life (Kabbalah)|Kabbalistic Tree of Life]] is a major part of SEELE's master plan in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', and can be seen in the opening credits as well as on the ceiling of Gendo's office.

** The horror movie ''[[The Unborn]]'' uses the dybbuk as a completely malevolent spirit. A rabbi uses Jewish rituals to help banish it.

* Jewish mysticism is somewhat subverted in ''[[Pi]]'', where a Kabbalistic sect knows about the hero's magic number, but cannot discover it for themselves. Ultimately they are shown to be no closer to decoding the universe than a stockbroking firm.

 

=== Folklore ===

* [[Golem]]s come from Jewish folklore. A particularly holy rabbi can create a golem from clay, like Adam was shaped from clay, and give it life using Hebrew words of power, much like the word of God created the universe. Traditionally, the Hebrew word "emet", meaning "truth" is written on the golem's head. The golem can be killed by erasing the first letter to spell "met," meaning "dead." While Golems have become fantasy stock characters, their Hebrew origins are sometimes acknowledged.

 

* ''The Red Magician'' by Lisa Goldstein

 

=== [[Video Games]] ===

* The video game ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]: Redemption'' features a Jewish Quarter level in which a (sabotaged) rabbi's golem has run amok.

 

=== [[Real Life]] ===

** [[Aleister Crowley]] would later go on to base his writings on magic around Kabbalah.

 

* Just see [[Magical Native American]]. It'll save us both some time and page space.

 

 

=== [[Tabletop Games]] ===

* The RPG ''Mythic Russia'' allows Russian characters to wield power via their Orthodox Christian faith, as well as native Russian paganism. Characters from other countries can use Catholicism and various varieties of paganism to the same effect.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* Sakura from ''[[Blue Seed]]'' was a [[Miko]], using her powers as a weapon against the Aragamis. Momiji, while not a miko herself, was a bit more spiritual than usual for Japan.

* Mikan from ''[[Rental Magica]]'' is a [[Miko]] whose magic is based on actual Shinto chants and rites.

* ''[[Wagaya no Oinari-sama.]]'' is practically dripping with Shinto magic; most of the main and supporting characters can use it in one form or another. The title references the god Inari and the god Ebisu is a supporting character, both figures from Shinto religion.

 

=== [[Video Games]] ===

** Kotiya Sanae, a recent addition, is a shrine maiden capable of performing miracles. This has less to do with her position as a shrine maiden and more to do with her having a god for an ancestor.

 

(See also [[Hollywood Voodoo]].)

 

* ''[[Child's Play (film)|Child's Play]]'' has Chucky bound up in a doll's body by means of a voodoo ritual. Bonus points for using a voodoo doll to interrogate his mentor.

* In ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'' the "shadow man" proclaims his skills with voodoo, hoodoo, and things he ain't even tried. He appears to be a basic fortuneteller and minor peddler of spells, until his plans get under way.

 

=== [[Literature]] ===

 

=== [[Professional Wrestling]] ===

 

=== [[Video Games]] ===

* ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]'' [[Canon Foreigner]] Hungan is able to control Storm with his magic staff.

 

=== [[Film]] ===

* The movie ''[[The Craft]]'' has four girls using pagan-derived magic to take over their school and inevitably go all ''Carrie''.

 

=== [[Western Animation]] ===

 

=== [[Real Life]] ===

* Wiccans, as well as other pagan and neo-pagan religions, do use ritual magic to varying degrees. The mistake Hollywood and literature generally makes is thinking that the magic is the point. Actually, the magic comes in more of a consequence of the world view than anything else: the idea is that the world is a spiritual place, and the supernatural has an effect on the ordinary world. Since as a witch you are supposed to know something about the supernatural, you can use that knowledge to help yourself or others.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* The manga ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'' features loads of villains who are Taoist adepts, which...gives them psychic powers like materializing attack insects. And super healing. And so on. Also they like fighting.

* In a ''particularly'' old example, most of the magic in ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' is pulled off by Taoists. Good luck figuring out where "Taoist hermit" ends and "practitioner of folk magic" begins, though, even in the real world.

 

* ''[[Touhou]]'' treats Taoism as a magic system first, and philosophy/religion second.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* ''[[Ghost Hunt]]'' features Taoism, Shintoism, Catholicism and modern metaphysics all used to exorcise spirits. Each is useful in different circumstances.

* In ''[[The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump]]'', magical effects can be achieved via ''any'' religious belief system, and have been in spades. This results in things like "crosswalks" that are still called that, even though multiculturalism has led to anti-collision wards for ''non''-Christians being incorporated into them as well.

* The basis of [[John Ringo]]'s ''[[Special Circumstances]]'' whose heroine is a Protestant, but which also features or at least mentions practitioners of many other faiths as well.

* In S. M. Stirling's ''[[Emberverse]]'' series this mostly takes the form of visions and exorcism. Members of Asatru, the Catholic Church, Buddhism, Wicca and First nations religion all receive the first, the latter are performed by Juniper, a Wiccan high priestess and Father Ignatius, a Catholic paladin and well as Rudi who is basically [[King Arthur]] reborn as a Wiccan.

* The ''[[Breaking the Wall]]'' trilogy features this, with many indigenous magical sects of different cultures and/or religions being present. Much like ''[[Ghost Hunt]]'' above, one character, Tracy Frye, calls herself a Generalist and obtains knowledge of as many of these cultures as she can. Unlike ''Ghost Hunt'', she's repeatedly said to collect them just to have them.

 

=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

* A major element of ''[[A Certain Magical Index]]'', where each religion appears to have its own brand of magic, since mages identify themselves by which church they belong to. Kaori being a part of a combination Christian/Shinto church effectively allows for her to combine magic styles. In contrast, the series' users of [[Psychic Powers]] are influenced by science. Any and all religious objects (crosses, Aztec sacrificial knives, clerical vestments, etc) are enchanted with powerful magic.

* Rather strangely averted in the ''[[Discworld]]'' novels. Discworld priests do not gain any magical abilities from serving the gods (who are real and can and do interfere in human affairs), except for a measure of protection against spontaneous lightning bolts. (This is probably because the gods of the Disc just don't care: they are portrayed as the equivalent of absentee landlords - Om lost almost all his believers and power without realizing it, because he never paid any attention to the religion that worshipped him.) Also Pratchett's witches are entirely non-spiritual humanists with little interest in the gods, something very at odds with both witches from mythology (ie. Circe) and modern Wiccans. While presumably based on Pratchett's own secular humanism, it does make his satire of New Age trappings, that some of the younger witches practice unusually shallow by [[Discworld]] standards - compare the [[Take That]] at the stock 'New Age' type activities of the image conscious young witches in ''Lords and Ladies'' with the much deeper look at religion (and Judeo-Christian religion in particular) in ''Small Gods''.

** This may be because the gods demonstrably exist in the Discworld, so there's as much need to believe in their existence as for that of horses or elephants. The witches (or at least Granny Weatherwax) explicitly think that believing in the gods just encourages them.

** You can arguably claim that he is not satirizing New Age religions, but those people who pretentiously adopt the external trappings of a New Age religion.

** While priests don't receive magical powers from their gods directly, ''faith itself'' has been known to invest supernatural powers in sacred objects. Dios's staff in ''Pyramids'' became imbued with tremendous magic due to thousands of years' accumulated belief in its absolute authority. And Mightily-Blessed-Are-They-That-Exalteth-Om Oats does a wonderful job with his vampire-beheading axe.

* In the ''[[Codex Alera]]'', the [[Wolf Man|Canim]] ritualists are both priests and sorcerers for their people, though what exactly their religion entails apart from an emphasis on [[The Power of Blood]] and belief in an afterlife isn't elaborated on.

 

* ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' has the Old Religion, which appears to be a form of paganism, but not specifically Wicca. There's a lot of magic involved, and usually a female high priestess. (first Nimueh, then Morgause, now Morgana). There are pleny of Druids too.

* ''[[Forever Knight]]'' had a form of Native American belief in one season 3 episode, involving a medicine woman who drew the evil out of Nick, then overloaded when she didn't know to channel it into something else.

* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' is really big on this, both in background terms and in-game; the most notable example is the Sisters of Battle, whose faith can have all sorts of physical effects on a game. It is probably worth noting that while Faith can (and will) stop a deamon or psyker in it's tracks, it won't stop that .45 round heading for your face...

** However, priests don't have any real mythical ability to affect the mundane. Instead they inspire soldiers to rush at the enemy and beat the crap out of them and carry huge chainsaw swords that can cut tanks in half.

** [[Cosmic Horror|Chaos]] is the opposite, however, where sucking up to the gods is a sure recipe for getting new and cooler ways to horribly kill more people. Or they might turn you into a mindless [[Eldritch Abomination]]. It depends on wether they want a laugh, or if they want something dead, of if they regard you as 'disposable' at the time.

* ''[[Warhammer Fantasy]]'' plays it straight and averts it depending on the culture. Magic is everywhere waiting to be manipulated, but different civilisations have built up different rituals to do this - some of them directly conflate religion with magic, some don't. In general all clergy can use magic to some degree or other, but [[The Empire]], some of the Skaven, and the Vampire Counts can also field "secular" magic users.

* In the Sixth World of [[Shadowrun]], it is implied that [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|belief]] is more important than the actual religion. If you believe that [[Hermetic Magic]] is the way magic actually works, then that's how you get it to work; if you consider yourself to be working miracles in the name of one or more deities, then that's fine too and your spells will be equally effective (mechanically identical). Interestingly, this can cause problems if your way of thinking is more limited; [[Psychic Powers|Psions]] can't throw fireballs because it doesn't fit their Mind Over Matter model, but they can still set you on fire by accelerating your molecules.

* [[All Myths Are True|All the religions above could work]] in ''[[Deadlands]]'', provided the [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|practitioners follow proper form and faith in execution of their chosen miracles.]] By the time ''Deadlands: Hell on Earth'' rolls around, you can just faith yourself up some [[I Love Nuclear Power|mushroom clouds]], provided you've touched The Glow (and it's touched you back). Having said all that, a [[Player Character]] is most likely to run across (or be) a miracle-working Protestant, since they're statistically the most common faithful in the timeline of the game, so your stock "Blessed" is all about healing the sick and whacking bad things with a hickory stick.

 

=== [[Video Games]] ===

 

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[[Category:Did Not Do the Research]]

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