Anathema Maranatha ~ Christianity & the Imprecatory Arts

Anathema Maranatha ~ Christianity and the Imprecatory Arts

Far from being a religion defined by rituals of peace, and love and salvation. Christianity has a dark side which historically embraced the imprecatory arts.—rituals of cursing and malediction. Beginning with God’s curse upon Adam, Eve, the Serpent, and their descendants. The religion of Jesus Christ has a rich tradition of cursing and casting evil upon others, even if largely unacknowledged.

The magic of hate and harm had a special place amongst the learned clergy, whose traffic with angels and demons is also known through the historical genre of grimoires and the so-called ‘Black Books‘ of European necromancy. Drawing upon the Bible, as well as non-canonical scriptures and folk traditions.

Martin Duffy examines the rich history of Christian malediction, from curses to blight farmland to magical operations meant to cause a building to collapse, to invoking the saints for the destruction of one’s enemies.

Images by Johnny Decker Miller

Three Hands Press ✢ Limited hardcover edition with gilt boards and colour dust jacket, limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies.