Elijah vanishing a drought, Jesus raising the dead, a mysterious threshing floor beneath Solomon's temple: Biblical "wonderworks" constitute phenomena rooted in folkloric magic. We'll apply a pragmatic definition to magic: the manifestation of the extraordinary out of the ordinary. Applying the social sciences, we'll uncover a diverse, often cross-cultural domain to understand magic's mechanics and transformations. Through lecture and discussion, we'll explore thematics and create models to illustrate magic as the Bible's core motivation for belief and delve deeply into its significance. Bring a Bible, your ideas, and respect for others' views.

Moderator: Craig Miller holds a doctorate in theology, specializing in biblical/classical languages. He has taught for 40+ years at nearly all levels of academia, 25 of which for adult education programs, including OLLI. His courses focus on a range of specialized topics taught innovatively. His mantra: Any topic can be made accessible and enjoyable via student-centered teaching.