© Columbia University Press
Naming the Witch: Magic, Ideology, and Stereotype in the Ancient World
October, 2007
Cloth, 312 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-13836-9
$45.00
/ £31.00
"Naming the Witch is a well argued, well constructed book that can be highly recommended." — Patrick Maille, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"A scrupulous and highly innovative study of the phenomenon of "magic" in the ancient world. . . A significant contribution to the discussion . . . Recommendable to all readers." — Thomas J. Kraus, Review of Biblical Literature
"Naming the Witch is a theoretically and historically sophisticated account of magic and gender in late antiquity that thoroughly denaturalizes both categories. Kimberly B. Stratton makes an excellent contribution to the theoretically informed study of gender, magic, and religion." — Amy Hollywood, Elizabeth H. Monrad Professor of Christian Studies, Harvard Divinity School
"Naming the Witch breaks new ground in the contested territory of gender and magic in the ancient world. Kimberly B. Stratton examines charges and practices of magic from ancient Greece to the Babylonian Talmud with a fresh eye and ideological sophistication. Her attentive readings offer insights into gender, magic, and religion that will challenge and engage expert and neophyte alike." — Mary R. D'Angelo, associate professor of theology, University of Notre Dame, and coeditor of Women in Christian Origins
"Kimberly B. Stratton provides a fascinating exploration of the ways that people in the ancient Mediterranean world used the idea of 'magic' to marginalize particular groups and thereby reaffirm cultural norms. By juxtaposing four different cultural contexts, she reveals how this discourse of magic, while displaying some consistent features, was modulated to meet particular needs. This lively and stimulating book will be of interest not only to scholars of ancient magic but also to anyone working on gender and social relations." — J. B. Rives, Kenan Eminent Professor of Classics, the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Naming the Witch sets a new path in the study of magic. Sensitive to the literary and social conventions of both the classical and Semitic cultures of late antiquity, Kimberly B. Stratton leads us to a new understanding of the mechanisms by which magic does its work in society. This book should be read by all scholars of the period and all who have struggled to theorize about magic." — Alan F. Segal, professor of religion and Ingeborg Rennert Professor of Jewish Studies, Barnard College