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Gospel magic

 
Wikipedia: Gospel magic
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Gospel magic is a specialized form of stage magic. It refers to the use of otherwise standard magic tricks and illusions to catechize those preparing for sacraments in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Orthodox Churches or during general preaching, or during missions, in all branches of Christianity.

In the Bible, Jesus Christ uses stories or parables to illustrate his message. Gospel Magic is intended to present his Good News through "visual parables". Like parables, the trick or illusion in Gospel Magic is used to present some important theological point, such as the sacraments, in an entertaining way that people will remember and understand.

Gospel Magic is intended to convey mystagogy in the belief that religious mysteries cannot be shown empirically but can only be described as inner experience.[1] The Gospel Magician hopes to convey this sense of mystery by performing an otherwise inexplicable magic trick in front of his or her audience.

Gospel Magic is generally presented as stage magic or platform magic but it can be adapted to close-up magic or micromagic situations. It is uncommon for a Gospel Magician to use mentalism in his or her act, largely because the attention would be turned towards the performer rather than to the message. Gospel Magic does not claim to invoke spirits or paranormal powers.

The Jewish equivalent to Gospel Magic is known as Torah Magic.

Contents

History

In the Bible

Biblical references to "magic" are, without exception, the manipulation of supposed preternatural powers usually associated with conjuring spirits in order to foretell the future (1 Samuel 28:7,) or dealing with astrology (Isaiah 47:13) Suffice it to say that, inevitably, the kind of magic that is referenced in the Bible is not stage magic.[2]

The arts and ministry

The arts have a long history in Christianity as a means to bring Christ's teachings to the faithful. Icons, parables, music, song, dance, poetry, sculpture, painting, stained glass, theater, radio, film, television and the Internet. Even stage magic and illusion have their place in Christianity as evangelizing tools.

St. John Bosco

The first known instance of Gospel Magic is attributed to St. Don Bosco, an Italian priest born in Becchi, Castelnuovo d'Asti, Piedmont, who used magic tricks to catechize the children to whom he ministered.[3] He is particularly known for a trick where he turned three short ropes into a single long rope to demonstrate the concept of the Trinity. His use of magic tricks to catechize children latter came to be called "Gospel Magic." During the latter half of the 19th century, as Europe's poor were suffering from the effects of industrialization, Don Bosco saw that most of the children in his village remained uneducated and lacked faith in God.[4]

John become fascinated with the magic performed by stage magicians in many circuses, fairs and carnivals that visited his part of Italy. With the knowledge of magic tricks that he pieced together, he was able to put on little magic shows free of charge for his friends.[5] Being devout, he would take the opportunity to repeat the homily he heard at church on the previous Sunday to his impromptu congregation.[6]

When Don Bosco ("Don" is an Italian honorific equivalent to "Sir" or "Mr.", or in this case, "Fr." in reference to a priest) became a priest in 1841, he dedicated his priesthood to helping poor children in Turin. Taking care of their physical needs of food, clothing and shelter were difficult enough but Don Bosco wanted more. He wanted to make sure that these children grew up to be dedicated and enlightened Christians.[7]

He remembered the magic he would perform for his little friends when he was a child and decided that that was the best way to bring children back to the Church. This was the beginning of Gospel Magic, that is, the altering or tailoring of a magic performance so that it can be used to instruct children or adults on some aspect of Christian theology. Among the magic tricks that Don Bosco used to teach Christian theological principles, he was said to be able to tie three ropes together to form one seamless rope in order to explain the Christian Trinity.

Typical magic effects used by Gospel Magicians look very much like any other magic trick one has come across but the patter, or story weaved by the magician, is directed to demonstrate such theological principles as God's love and forgiveness, Christ's parables, the Immaculate Conception, the Sacraments, or even free will.

St. Nicholas Owen

In addition to St. John Don Bosco, Catholic Christian Gospel Magicians also honor St. Nicholas Owen, a 16th century Jesuit martyr.

Though St. Nicholas Owen did not use stage magic to promote Christian beliefs, he did use his carpentry and cabinetry skills to help those who did. For this reason, St. Nicholas Owen has become an unofficial patron saint of professional stage illusionists.[citation needed]

On March 22, Catholic magicians around the world honor the Jesuit saint known as "Little John;" a man who was small in stature but big of heart and in terms of accomplishments. He was the son of a carpenter, whose family was dedicated to the persecuted Church. Two of his brothers became priests while another brother printed underground Catholic books.[8]

During a time of anti-Catholic persecution in England and Wales (1559–1829), Nicholas, an artisan from Oxford, saved the lives of many priests and Catholic laypersons in the United Kingdom. Fr. Henry Garnet, Superior of the English Jesuits, directed St. Nicholas and his companion, St. Edmund Campion, to use his cabinetry and masonry skills to save people's lives.[9] He used the pseudonym John Owen as he worked undercover. Because he was on the short side, he was given the nickname, "Little John."

Without his help, hundreds of English Catholics would have been deprived of the sacraments. His gift for spotting unlikely places to hide priests was impressive. Over the course of approximately twenty-years he used his carpentry and artistic skills to design secret hiding places for priests and keeping them from being detected by raiding parties throughout the country.[10] In 1577, after many years at his life-saving work, he joined the Jesuits as a lay brother but his association was always kept secret considering the times in which he lived. He never had a formal novitiate but did receive instruction nonetheless.

Every day he worked on regular wood and stone repair jobs that one would normally expect so as not to draw undue attention to his presence. At night he would dedicate himself to the task at hand. He would create small hiding places, trap doors, sliding doors, hidden crawl spaces and subterranean passages in order to hide priests and other Catholic fugitives from the priest-hunters.[11] He would use trompe l'oeil, perspective and many of the modern principles of stage illusion-design that magicians often take for granted these days. Whenever St. Nicholas would design and build such hiding places, he would always begin with prayer and receive the Holy Eucharist. Because of his incredible building skills, he was even able to help two Jesuit Catholic priests escape from the Tower of London. He is thus considered by Catholic escapologists as their patron saint.

After a number of narrow escapes, he was finally caught by the authorities in 1594 and again in 1606. Both times he was tortured to give up information about the identity and whereabouts of priests and prominent Catholics and his incredible construction secrets. Despite being subjected to horrible pain and suffering an agonizing death, he remained silent about both. On October 25, 1970, Pope Paul VI canonized Nicholas Owen as one of a group known as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Organizations

The principle organizations for Gospel Magicians are the International Fellowship of Christian Magicians and the Catholic Magicians' Guild [1]. The IFCM's monthly magazine is The Conjuror. The CMG's electronic quarterly magazine is entitled Totus Tuus.

Gospel magician holidays

Gospel Magic can be used throughout the Christian liturgical calendar but there are several feast days that are particularly important to Gospel Magicians:

  • January 31 - St. Don Bosco's feast day - Catholic Gospel Magicians will usually celebrate this day by offering free magic performances to underprivileged or infirmed children.[12]
  • March 22 - St. Nicholas Owen (martyr). Considered the Stage Illusionist's holiday since St. Nicholas used his cabinetry skills to hide Catholic priests and pay people during Britain's Penal Times. [13]
  • March 25 - St. Dismas - The "Good Thief," who was crucified alongside Christ, is considered the Patron of Reformed Thieves. In that sense, Christian magicians who use pickpocketing in their acts consider him to be their patron.
  • August 10 - St. Lawrence of Rome - an ancient Roman martyr. Because of his quick wit even in the midst of being tortured to death, he is considered the Patron of Comedians. It is understandable how magicians who do comical acts would look to St. Lawrence for inspiration.
  • August 25 - St. Genesius of Rome - was a renowned Roman actor hired for a play that satirized the rite of Christian Baptism. In the middle of the opening night performance before Emperor Diocletian, Genesius had a change of heart and converted and was subsequently martyred thus becoming the Patron of Stage Performers. He is rightly considered a patron of stage magicians.[14]
  • November 15 - St. Albert the Great - Though Albertus Magnus is more commonly seen as the Patron of Scientists, he is rememberd by Gospel Magicians in that he saw scientific principles present in nature as signs of wonder. It is little wonder he is considered important in magic, the art of wonderment.[15]

Gospel magic bibliography

The principle texts for Gospel Magicians are a two-volume series:

  • Miller, Jule L. Spiritual Applications for Tarbell I. Gospel Services. 1976.
  • Miller, Jule L. Spiritual Applications for Tarbell II. Gospel Services. 1984.

The Tarbell Course is a standard reference for all magicians. Miller's Spiritual Applications for Tarbell was based on this series. It was originally intended to be expanded to cover all eight-volumes in the Tarbell Series but Miller died before this massive project was completed.

In addition, another book meant for Catholic Gospel Magicians has recently been released:

  • Stagnaro, Angelo. The Catechist's Magic Kit. Crossroad Publishing. 2009.

The Catechist's Magic Kit received a nihil obstat and imprimatur from Bishop Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio, of the Diocese of Brooklyn making it the only magic book to receive such designations from the Catholic Church. The book follows the Catholic Catechism chapter by chapter but it includes a chart to allow it to be used by Protestants and Orthodox magicians.

See also

 The length of this "see also" section may adversely affect readability. Please ensure that the "see also" links are not mentioned elsewhere in the article, are not red links, are as few in number and as relevant as possible.

References

  1. ^ http://spiritualmagic.org/stories.php
  2. ^ Portion repudiates dependence on magic
  3. ^ http://www.donboscokhmer.org/MEMOIRS/Chapters/chapter_13.htm
  4. ^ http://www.donboscokhmer.org/MEMOIRS/Chapters/chapter_14.htm
  5. ^ http://www.donboscokhmer.org/MEMOIRS/Chapters/chapter_3.htm
  6. ^ CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. John Bosco (Don Bosco)
  7. ^ Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales 1815 - 1855: The Autobiography of St. John Bosco, Translated by Daniel Lyons, SDB, with notes and commentary by Eugene Ceria SDB, Lawrence Castelvecchi SDB, and Michael Mendl SDB
  8. ^ Parker, A. (1911). Nicholas Owen. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved June 10, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11364a.htm
  9. ^ Foley, Records of English Jesuits (London, 1875-82), IV, 245; VII, 561;
  10. ^ More, Hist. Prov. Anglicanae (St. Omers, 1660), 322
  11. ^ Nash, Mansions of England (London, 1906);
  12. ^ St. John Bosco - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
  13. ^ St. Nicholas Owen - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
  14. ^ St. Genesius - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
  15. ^ St. Albert the Great - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online

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