I suspect many do "like the snacks" and being part of the company. I'm definitely with you at the irony of having faith in a metaphysical God (especially one who demands loyalty in the face of other metaphysical beings) but not buying into the possibility that the abilities of the Witch of Endor or Jannes and Jambres (Pharoah's court magicians in the exodus story) or any branch of applied metaphysics might yield actual results.
what we would call ceremonial magic, probably. the fine distinction between mediumship and ceremonial magic seems to be a contemporary issue. it all probably flowed together back when the material world was less monolithic. there are several hypotheses (i'm most familiar with Dr. Stephen Skinner's) about how the permeability of the material world itself changes across time and space, partly based on how a particular culture engages with the immaterial. summoning spirits to full physical manifestation might just have been easier in biblical times. and again, that seems easy enough to swallow compared to a monotheistic god.
I suspect many do "like the snacks" and being part of the company. I'm definitely with you at the irony of having faith in a metaphysical God (especially one who demands loyalty in the face of other metaphysical beings) but not buying into the possibility that the abilities of the Witch of Endor or Jannes and Jambres (Pharoah's court magicians in the exodus story) or any branch of applied metaphysics might yield actual results.
The thing that I know of personally along those lines:
https://substack.com/profile/100124894-steven-berger/note/c-42590036
What was the Witch of Endor doing? Therapy? Demon Summoning? Mediumship? Acting as a foil?
what we would call ceremonial magic, probably. the fine distinction between mediumship and ceremonial magic seems to be a contemporary issue. it all probably flowed together back when the material world was less monolithic. there are several hypotheses (i'm most familiar with Dr. Stephen Skinner's) about how the permeability of the material world itself changes across time and space, partly based on how a particular culture engages with the immaterial. summoning spirits to full physical manifestation might just have been easier in biblical times. and again, that seems easy enough to swallow compared to a monotheistic god.