New Books in World Christianity

In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term “magic” and the cultural meaning of ancient words like mageia or khesheph, this Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. The three major sections of this volume address (1) indigenous terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual in antiquity; (2) the ancient texts, manuals, and artifacts commonly designated “magical” or used to represent ancient magic; and (3) a series of contexts, from the written word to materiality itself, to which the term “magic” might usefully pertain.The individual essays in this volume cover most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both established and emergent scholars of ancient religions.In a burgeoning field of “magic studies” trying both to preserve and to justify critically the category itself, this volume brings new clarity and provocative insights. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory.Contributors are: Magali Bailliot, Gideon Bohak, Véronique Dasen, Albert de Jong, Jacco Dieleman, Esther Eidinow, David Frankfurter, Fritz Graf, Yuval Harari, Naomi Janowitz, Sarah Iles Johnston, Roy D. Kotansky, Arpad M. Nagy, Daniel Schwemer, Joseph E. Sanzo, Jacques van der Vliet, Andrew Wilburn.

David Frankfurter holds the William Goodwin Aurelio Chair of the Appreciation of Scripture at Boston University. He joined the faculty of B.U. in the fall of 2010. A scholar of ancient Mediterranean religions with specialties in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, magical texts, popular religion, and Egypt in the Roman and late antique periods, Frankfurter’s particular interests revolve around theoretical issues like the place of magic in religion, the relationship of religion and violence, the nature of Christianization, and the representation of evil in culture. 

Caleb Zakarin is CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network.
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In From Juche to Jesus: A Study of Worldview Transformation Among North Korean Defector Christians in South Korea (Pickwick Publications, 2025), Su Hwa Keum explores the profound spiritual journeys of North Korean defectors as they navigate the transition from Juche ideology to faith in Christ. While many encounter the gospel during their escape, genuine transformation requires more than exposure – it is a deep, internal process. Through personal interviews and grounded theory research, Keum examines the key factors and processes that lead to lasting worldview transformation. She highlights how experiencing God enables defectors to “replace the logic of survival with the logic of grace.” A scholarly, insightful and deeply personal work, From Juche to Jesus sheds light on the journey of faith and renewal, offering a powerful perspective on how the gospel reshapes hearts, minds, and entire worldviews.
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I have long had an interest in both the Keswick movement and the East Africa Revival. Dr Robinson Kariuki Mwangi’s doctoral research brings the two together. His book is The Influence of Early Keswick Theology of Sanctification in the Socio-ethical Life of the East African Revival Movement: A Missional Perspective (Langham Academic, 2025).

In this episode I frame my questions as an interested observer to allow Dr. Mwangi to explain his findings. The issue is this. Sanctification is an essential part of every Christian life. But how do its differing theologies shape our Christian walk and wider socio-ethic contexts? Grounded in the East Africa Revival Movement (EARM), this work seeks to answer how the Keswick theology of sanctification contributes to the socio-ethical understanding of "walking in the light" and consequently influences the mission of the Anglican Church in the Mount Kenya region. Dr. Mwangi uses exegetical analysis to understand the biblical roots of revival and sociological surveys and focus groups to understand how adherents of revival have developed in this region of Kenya. Scholars of theology and lived Christianity will find the observations in this work informative for further study.
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The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius was one of the medieval world’s most popular and widely translated texts. Composed in Syriac in Mesopotamia in the seventh century, this supposed revelation presented a new, salvific role for the Roman Empire, whose last emperor, it prophesied, would help bring about the end of the ages. In this first book-length study of Pseudo-Methodius, Christopher J. Bonura uncovers the under-appreciated Syriac origins of this apocalyptic tract, revealing it as a remarkable response to political realities faced by Christians living under a new Islamic regime. Tracing the spread of Pseudo-Methodius from the early medieval Mediterranean to its dissemination via the printing presses of early modern Europe, Bonura then demonstrates how different cultures used this new vision of empire’s role in the end times to reconfigure their own realities. The book also features a new, complete, and annotated English translation of the Syriac text of Pseudo-Methodius.

New books in Late Antiquity is Presented by Ancient Jew Review.

Christopher J. Bonura is Assistant Professor of History at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland, and Visiting Assistant Professor Costigan Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Washington.

Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston
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God's mission is to reclaim the world. The church has a designated role to play. Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. Christopher Wright boldly maintains that the entire Bible is generated by and is all about God's mission. In order to understand the Scriptures, we need a missional hermeneutic, an interpretive perspective in sync with the beating heart of its great mission. Wright gives a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture through an understanding of:

Who God is

What he has called his people to be and do

How the nations fit into God's mission

In this revised edition of The Mission of God, Wright extends his classic discussion to consider the ways that the conversation on missional hermeneutics has developed since its original publication. With fully updated citations and additional chapters focused on gospel-centered holistic mission and on the issue of election and supersessionism, this new edition addresses the questions, criticisms, and insights that have emerged during the intervening two decades.
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