Tony, I'm just getting back into magic after a hiatus of about 50 years. I teach New Testament at a Christian liberal arts college and have been thinking about issues surrounding faith and magic, and how I might develop routines using such objects as a lepton/prutah (the 'widow's mite'). Needless to say, I appreciate your post! The topic I'm pondering has to do with perception and interpretation, that is, how we understand with what we see and hear. It goes back to the "hermeneutics" course in seminary which teaches us about reading, interpreting and applying texts well. In this case, the 'text' is magic which our spectators interpret. And, for us, we bring this interpretive process into dialog with 'The Text' of Scripture. I'm thinking down into these issues as I learn the basics of coin concealments and vanishes and purchase some wonderful gaffed coins. I don't have any conclusions yet, but I just wanted to mention the need to think about interpretation/perception and not simply about whether or not "the Bible forbids/allows magic." The issues on the table go beyond that. Any thoughts on hermeneutics?

Gene

AMEN
(I didn't want to quote the entire post - but I agree with all of it)

When contemporary Gospel music started catching on, there were some who criticized it because it was not like traditional Gospel hymns. However, it reached new audiences and is now gaining popular acceptance. Magic is simply another one of the performing arts, like theater, music, and dance. The difference is that it's interactive which (I believe) is one of its strengths.

I believe God has given us all talents and it's up to us to use them to honor Him. When asked about the difference between magic and miracles, I say, "God performs miracles. I just entertain."

Scott