Workplace Spirituality in Late Antique Egypt through Coptic Artifacts
2019, Minia Tourism and Hospitality Research
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Integrating spirituality in the workplace is a socio- psychological phenomenon that has existed since ancient times until today. This paper investigates workplace spirituality in Late Antique Egypt through visual evidence. During this period, the diverse religious and spiritual orientations of individuals (Christian and/or pagan) interacted with their socio-economic circumstances and defined their daily spiritual practices in workplaces. This interaction was reflected on visual media, where Coptic artists visualized the hopes and fears of professionals. The study concerns two classes: scribes, representing the upper class professionals, and weavers, representing the middle class. Scribes wielded social power as a result of their distinguished education, social networks, social mobility, and wealth. Nonetheless, they might face challenges with government officials. The Coptic artist decorated scribal tools with spiritual imagery invoking the miraculous protective power of military saints against anonymous enemies. As for weavers, they had different challenges, most prominently the limited income, and the restrictions of Roman legislation. Therefore, spiritual imagery on weaving tools was intended to entreat the power of Christian and pagan spirits to accomplish their wishes of abundance, wellbeing and fortune. Apparently, the Coptic artist, through the language of imagery, employed and promoted the cults of saints and angels for their wide popularity. At the same time, he borrowed classical visual vocabulary, which were gradually secularized. Regardless of the social and literacy status, professionals from different classes were driven by an inner desire to live integrated lives; where spirituality nourished their professional lives.
The Materiality of Magic, edited by Dietrich Boschung and Jan N. Bremmer
Published 2015
6575 ViewsPaperRank: 3.330 Pages
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The Materiality of Magic is an exciting new book about an aspect of magic that is usually neglected. In the last two decades we have had many books and proceedings of conferences on the concept of magic itself as well as its history, formulas and incantations in antiquity, both in East and West. Much less attention, however, has been paid to the material that was used by the magicians for their conjuring activities. This is the first book of its kind that focuses on the material aspects of magic, such as amulets, drawings, figurines, gems, grimoires, rings, and voodoo dolls. The practice of magic required a specialist expertise that knew how to handle material such as lead, gold, stones, papyrus and terra cotta—material that sometimes was used for specific genres of magic. That is why we present in this well illustrated collection of studies new insights on the materiality of magic in antiquity by studying both the materials used for magic as well as the books in which the expertise was preserved. The main focus of the book is on antiquity, but we complement and contrast our material with examples ranging from the Ancient Near East, via early modern Europe, to the present time.
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