Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: Perspectives in the Media

Western culture is saturated with ideas drawn from longstanding patterns of popular belief as well as formal religious institutions. In an age that many consider secular, sensationalist stories about inexplicable supernatural events are shared consistently in the media. The occult, mythology, vampires, zombies, ghosts, apparitions, and paranormal activity are but a few of the supernatural or cosmological themes and images that are felt in everyday life. Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: Perspectives in the Media explores and analyzes coverage of supernatural and religious phenomena and themes within the media, with emphasis on their impact on society. The selected readings illustrate how classic observations and theory made by social and cultural anthropologists have real-world application in everyday American life. The third edition features 22 new readings, which address an array of topics, including mass shootings and religion; superheroes as anti-myths; magic-inspired beauty routines; zombies in pop culture; progressive occultism; the intersection of witchcraft and gun control; and more. Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion is an ideal supplemental text for courses that explore the anthropology of religion, pop culture in the media, and sociology.