About the author
Bernd-Christian Otto is a German scholar of religious studies whose research focuses on the history and theory of magic in Western thought. His German-language book Magie (de Gruyter, 2016) surveys how the question of what magic is has occupied religious scholars, ancient poets and philosophers, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim authors across two millennia of European intellectual history. Defining Magic: A Reader (Routledge), which he co-edited, assembles key primary texts that have attempted to define magic's nature and boundaries within the study of religion, anthropology, sociology, and cultural history. Otto's work is academic in orientation, treating magic as a historically contested category of Western thought rather than as a practice, and is aimed at students and scholars of religious studies rather than practitioners.
📖 Where to start with Bernd-Christian Otto
💬 What our editors say about Bernd-Christian Otto's books
“Otto delivers a meticulous charting of the term's evolution, respecting the plurality of historical interpretations rather than forcing a definitive essence. This is a rigorous academic text that prioritizes philological…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Magie - Ingram Academic Otto, Bernd-Christian
“This volume is a formidable academic tool rather than a casual guide to occult practice. It rigorously examines the conceptualization of magic through historical and anthropological lenses, making it indispensable for scholars…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Defining Magic: A Reader Otto, Bernd-Christian
“Otto curates a dense but rewarding collection that maps the shifting contours of magical theory. While it successfully juxtaposes theological and anthropological perspectives, its academic rigor may alienate casual readers…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Defining Magic: A Reader Otto, Bernd-Christian
📋 Editions by Bernd-Christian Otto in the catalog
| Edition | Year | Publisher | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magie - Ingram Academic Otto, Bernd-Christian | 2016 | de Gruyter | 711 | 9783110487992 |
| Defining Magic: A Reader Otto, Bernd-Christian | 2013 | Routledge | 296 | 9781908049803 |
| Defining Magic: A Reader Otto, Bernd-Christian | — | Routledge | 296 | 9781908049797 |
| Magie - Ingram Academic Otto, Bernd-Christian | — | de Gruyter | 711 | 9783110254204 |
