Should Your Children Read Books with Magic?

Magic According to Scripture

Many Christian parents struggle with the use of magic in literature. Some feel uncomfortable with any magical elements, while others object only to those associated with witchcraft. I’ve had many online conversations with parents who struggle to articulate exactly “how much” magic they’re willing to allow in their kids’ books. I myself have wrestled with this issue, seeking a biblical approach and landing in various places at different times. My goal here is to provide you with an introduction to this topic, and to equip you with perspectives to approach it biblically and practically. Although I love literature, I love the word of God far more. I know I will have to give an account to the Lord for everything, and I deeply desire to represent his word well, despite my fallibility. Having said this, I realize you may come to different conclusions than I have.

The Bible is clear that sorcery and divination are abominations in God’s sight. One passage that speaks directly to the forbiddance of magical practices is Deuteronomy 18:10–11: “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead.”

When we read such verses, images of a robed man waving his hands over a crystal ball may trouble our minds. But how would the Israelites have understood terms such as fortunes and charmer? What did the mandates against sorcery mean in the historical context? To illuminate the issue, we’ll start with Deuteronomy 18:10–11 and finish with a few other verses that pertain to the occult. Throughout the following summary, I provide definitions from the original Hebrew according to T. Witton Davies’s Magic, Divination, and Demonology Among the Hebrews and Their Neighbours, unless otherwise noted.¹

The first problematic term in Deuteronomy 18:10, qāsam, is usually translated as “divination.” This verb often connotes divining, usually by lot, which involves using dice, arrows, or other objects. This can also refer to the action of giving an oath to a deity to find out information, but it’s more commonly thought of as the former.

Another word in Deuteronomy 18:10, ʿānan, is sometimes translated as “sorcerer” or “wizard,” and implies someone who conjures or makes things appear. Interestingly, God uses this word in Genesis 9:14 when telling Noah that he will bring a cloud over the earth containing his covenant bow. But more often the term appears in a negative light. The next word to consider, nāḥaš, is usually associated with enchantments, often those whispered or “hissed.”

One of the most challenging words to define in Deuteronomy 18:10 is kāšap. This is translated as “sorcerer” or “witch,” but has uncertain etymology. Some possibilities include “to reveal” in connection to divination, “to look troubled and speak in low tones,” or “to cut” yourself before a deity.

Often translated as “charmer,” ḥeḇer in Deuteronomy 18:11 means “to tie or bind,” likely as in binding the will of a deity.

The next two phrases in Deuteronomy 18:11, šāʾal ʾôb and yiddʿōnî, often appear together, and the ESV translates them as “medium and necromancer.” Mediums were thought to speak directly to the spirit of a deceased person, and necromancers would serve as vessels for the spirits of the dead and speak on their behalf. This is also sometimes referred to as having a “spirit of divination” or a “familiar spirit,” as with the slave girl in Acts 16:16–19.

Dāraš mûṯ is a general term and is translated in the ESV as “one who inquires of the dead.”

In addition to these terms in Deuteronomy, we encounter several words denoting sorcery and magic in the New Testament.

In Galatians 5:20 the word translated as “sorcery” is pharmakeia. It designates those who use drugs for supernatural ends, often in connection with idolatry (pharmacy originates from this word). Mageia is found only in Acts 8:11 and magos in Matthew 2:1–16 and Acts 13:6–8.

Mageia is a broad term for magic or sorcery and magos refers to the person practicing magic, but the term can also have broader connotations of wise men and astrologers, such as the men from the East who traveled to see the young Jesus, recorded in Matthew 2:1–12.9

As we have seen, words often have a broad range of meaning attached to them, especially when it comes to abstract ideas and concepts. Such words rarely have a one-to-one correlation in English, and there is a lot of overlap in their translations. The precise meaning is often driven by context and intent, so we need to account for those things when studying Scripture.

As we review these words, however, some patterns emerge. In most cases, the forbidden practices seek to derive power apart from God. Magic practitioners inquire of spirits rather than the source of all wisdom (Prov. 9:10). They worship idols, and they chase after knowledge to which they have no right. They seek knowledge and power from the demonic—from the created—rather than from the divine Creator who made heaven and earth. Magic practitioners in the Bible, then, commit the same error as Adam and Eve in the garden: They seek to become like God themselves (Gen. 3:4–5).

Miracles

Do all supernatural activities in the Bible reflect such depravity? Let’s examine events in Scripture that are not condemned but rather serve to glorify God and demonstrate his power—what we call miracles. Throughout the Old Testament, we see many instances of God enacting miracles when his people obeyed his explicit instructions. Examples include the parting of the Jordan River and the fall of Jericho (Josh. 3; 6). In both cases God gave Joshua commands and then enacted a miracle when the Israelites obeyed. Such passages show that although God’s people are instruments in his hands, the power to move mountains is his alone.

The book of Exodus is likewise filled with remarkable displays of God’s power, including the miracle of Moses’s staff turning into a snake. God gave Moses specific instructions and, as Moses followed them, supernatural events unfolded (Ex. 7:10–12). The Egyptian sorcerers, using their forbidden magic, replicated similar acts, but God demonstrated his supreme power when Aaron’s staff swallowed up theirs.

In Exodus 17:4–6 Moses struck a rock with his staff as God commanded, and water flowed from it to provide for Israel. Later, when God told Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water, Moses disobeyed, choosing instead to strike the rock as he did before. Because of Moses’s lack of faith and his reliance on past “magical” actions rather than God’s grace, God prohibited him from entering the promised land (Num. 20:10–12).³

In some cases, the Bible doesn’t declare an overt command from God prior to a miracle, but his sovereign work is implied as his prophets act on his behalf. For example, in Exodus 17:8–16 Israel achieved victory over Amalek when Moses kept his hands raised, but the triumph was clearly the Lord’s (1 Kings 17:14). Additional miracles include Elijah’s command for the rain to cease (1 Kings 17:1–7), Elisha’s purification of a deadly stew by adding flour (2 Kings 4:38–41), and Elisha’s recovery of a lost axe head by throwing a stick into the water (2 Kings 6:1–7). We have New Testament examples as well, with Ananias laying hands on Saul and restoring his sight (Acts 9:17–19), Peter raising Dorcas to life (Acts 9:36–42), and handkerchiefs that had merely touched Paul’s skin healing the sick and demon possessed (Acts 19:11–12).

In all these examples, God didn’t need anyone to accomplish his will: “Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Rather, God employed these individuals for their good and his glory, to proclaim them as representatives of the one true, all-powerful God. Consider, for example, Acts 19:11: “God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.” The hands were Paul’s; the miracles were God’s.

In comparing miracles with occult practices, then, we discern a critical distinction between them: the source of power. Not all supernatural events are equivalent; they are either from God or from demonic forces. They either glorify God or offend him. Distinguishing between these two categories is crucial in discerning when magic depicted in literature leads to darkness and when it offers reflections of his holy light.

Discernment Between the Pages

How do we apply this knowledge to the books lining our kids’ bookshelves? At what point do we view magic in literature as forbidden supernatural activity? As we step into the realm of fiction and fantasy, can we enjoy rich and beautiful literature without setting aside our high view of Scripture?

We don’t view Moses raising his hands over the battle with the Amalekites as sorcery. Why? Because we know Moses had a relationship with the Lord and acted as his representative. Similarly, when Peter raised Dorcas from the dead and said, “Tabitha, arise” (Acts 9:40), we don’t see this as a magical incantation and necromancy but rather a confident proclamation from an apostle. We don’t question how mere men like Moses, Elijah, and Paul could do incredible miracles because we know the source of those miracles is God.

When I approach fantasy literature that includes magical elements, I try to look through a similar lens and ask the questions “Where does this power originate?” and “What are the practitioner’s intentions?” Remember that when an author writes in the genre of fantasy, his or her intent is (usually) not to encourage belief in fantastical events but rather to help the reader recognize the deeper truths that the imaginative elements of the story convey. Oftentimes, the author points to spiritual truths more effectively illustrated outside the bounds of our own reality. Well-written fantasy won’t focus on the magical elements themselves; rather, any magic will simply be a creative vehicle to highlight good versus evil and to reveal the truth that spiritual forces are at work in the world.

In fact, fantasy often excels in depicting the struggle between good and evil. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, for example, Aslan embodies goodness and the White Witch, Jadis, represents evil. Jadis wields her magic selfishly, using it to further her own glory at the expense of others. In contrast, Aslan uses his magic to help and heal, even at great personal sacrifice. While the specifics of Narnia’s magic remain largely unexplained, we do learn “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know.”⁴ The White Witch knows part of the truth, yet she doesn’t possess the full understanding. C. S. Lewis clearly doesn’t glorify Jadis’s magic but rather condemns it. Aslan’s powers, by contrast, come from a full and authoritative knowledge of the Deep Magic.

I would argue that in instances like this—when the source of magic represents goodness and the magic-wielder’s motives are selfless—we can view magic as the author’s form of miracles. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, for example, the wizard Gandalf uses magical powers to combat enemies determined to ravage and destroy. As he lays down his life to save those in his care, Gandalf’s use of magic fulfills the Christian call to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39). In such cases, the magic in literature may even help draw our kids into discussions about Christ.

But how do we proceed when magic is portrayed negatively, such as when the villain is an evil witch? As with any sin in literature, the key is whether such sin is celebrated. If a protagonist engages in activities that clearly reflect the occult (as outlined in the previous sections), and these actions are applauded, steer your kids away from such a book. As for villains, pointedly discuss the waywardness of their conduct. When Scripture mentions people who practice forbidden magic, it does so in a negative light; frame the content similarly. Of course, if the witch or wizard performs magic in a way that feels too dark or uncomfortable for you, I would never encourage you to ignore your conscience. In this case, it would be a personal preference. Each book needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Just as in any genre, there are plenty of books to simply avoid.

A final category to consider is books that use the term witchcraft to describe their “good” magic (the Harry Potter series leaps to mind). While we should rightly balk at the term witchcraft, many of these titles don’t actually depict biblical witchcraft or even modern-day occult practices but rather a made-up, fairy-tale kind of magic. This doesn’t mean, however, that we should give them a free pass. If a book embraces the idea of witchcraft, even if it misrepresents the specifics of the occult, some biblically forbidden elements such as divination or incantations often wander in. We should take great caution with these books so as not to confuse and muddy the waters for our children. If you choose to read them with your kids, dialogue with them often and help them practice discernment.

This article is adapted from Stories Woven in Silver: Pointing Kids to the Gospel Through Children’s Literature by Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson.

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