By Eliza Rohda '26
As part of the 46th annual Yorkfest celebrations, Dr. Greg Stevenson, professor of Bible and ministry at York University, gave a lecture for the Clayton Museum of Ancient History’s Fall Speaker Series. Now in its ninth year, the speaker series is a free event in the Yorkfest itinerary each year, hosted by the Clayton Museum of Ancient History on York University’s campus.
Executive Vice President Jared Stark introduced Dr. Stevenson as an expert not only on Biblical matters, but on pop culture as well. Dr. Stevenson has written on topics such as Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Marvel franchise, in addition to his work in Biblical studies. Before beginning his lecture, entitled “Magic and Early Christianity,” Dr. Stevenson apologized for his lack of pop culture regalia: “I think I’ve already disappointed Dr. Best, because he wanted me to show up in a cape.”
As Dr. Stevenson walked through the various types of magic found in the ancient world, he explained that magic was nothing strange to people living at the time of early Christianity. In fact, magic was simply a part of the fabric of their daily lives. He defined magic as “an attempt to connect to a power outside of normal reality and to manipulate that power through ritualized action.”
In a world where magic was not unusual, Jesus’s miracles might have seemed less extraordinary than they do to modern readers of the Bible. For the people Jesus encountered during his ministry, the question was not whether or not his power was possible, it was where that power came from. How was he different from those who recited incantations and brewed healing potions?
“Was Jesus a sorcerer?” asked Dr. Stevenson. After all, he was connected to “a power outside of normal reality.” The key difference, Dr. Stevenson explained, is in the manipulation of that power. The magicians and sorcerers of Jesus’s day attempted to manipulate spiritual powers for themselves. Jesus, on the other hand, did not need to “manipulate” God’s power, and he did not use it for self-gain. In a world of curses, incantations and healing spells, Jesus’s miracles stood out because they were defined by sacrifice and selfless faithfulness to God’s will.
In addition to the annual Fall Speaker Series, the Clayton Museum of Ancient History hosts a lecture every spring at the Ides of March Dinner. Check back for more details soon.