From Magic to Liturgy: A Comparative Historical Overview of Ritual Practice in the Ancient Mediterranean and Early Christianity

This paper provides a concise historical and anthropological overview of ritual practices from the ancient Mediterranean world to the emergence of Christian liturgy. It examines the categories of magic, guilt, and witchcraft, critically challenging evolutionist models that place magic at the lowest stage of human thought. Through a comparative analysis of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian religious systems, the study explores the structures of sacrifice, divination, and the social role of accusations of witchcraft. The second part traces how early Christian worship—particularly the Eucharist and the doctrine of transubstantiation—both inherits and transforms earlier ritual patterns.The paper aims to offer a theoretical and comparative framework useful for understanding the development of ritual systems and the transition from magical to institutional liturgical forms in antiquity.