Introduction
Inverted_pentacle‘Witchcraft’ is a broad term, and commonly refers to ‘the use of magic’, whilst magic itself can be defined as ‘the manipulation and coercion of hidden powers in order to act on specific events… or individuals, manipulating hidden powers in order to benefit or heal people or to cause them harm.’[2] Central to witchcraft, then, is the projection of hidden, or covert, power. Although some practitioners find the terms ‘witchcraft’ and ‘witch’ derogatory, equally, there are those who embrace these terms. Either way, the terminology is so well-established it is impossible to avoid. I use the generic term ‘witchcraft’ loosely in this paper to refer to engagement with the spirit world in ways that, in practice, ignore God’s reality.
The world of witchcraft is a complex one. For example, during the summer, a straw pentagram was left at a crossroads in Kent, near a Christian retreat centre where I was staying. No doubt the person who created and positioned the pentagram saw this as a meaningful practice. However, the typical Western materialist would struggle to make sense of this occurrence and would therefore be inclined to ignore it. Yet to an African visitor from South Africa, where at least 80 per cent of Africans consult sangomas[3] periodically, and where there are an estimated 350,000 such ‘healers’,[4] the incident would probably make sense and might even seem unremarkable. In contrast, some Christians might display a healthy wariness, whilst organisations such as Amnesty International and UNICEF would reject any suspicion of witchcraft because, in their view, witchcraft does not exist.
This vignette illustrates that witchcraft is a slippery subject. The reason is because there are so many competing worldviews at stake. This paper tries to provide a roadmap through the issues in a way that is both balanced and biblical. The subject is important because the unseen spiritual realm is more powerful than we can imagine, or deal with. And whilst we need to raise the subject, to understand it correctly, we must remember that rebellious spiritual powers are dangerous. We should steer well clear of them.
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