Blood magic?

Response to Kipp Davis and others. The claim is sometimes made that Christianity (and the earlier religion of the Hebrews) advocates a "magical" conception of blood. If true, what would this actually mean? Do those who use this kind of language even know what they mean by the term "magic"?

In this video I attempt to address these questions, arguing that ancient magic had certain characteristic features that the biblical writers dif not endorse. I also argue that blood was not itself envisaged as the "agent of purification" for sin, as Davis alleges. Rather, it was a symbol for the life that was offered in the place of another. While the idea of a substitutionary atonement may seem objectionable to many modern people, it was not a distinctively "magical" idea. Rather, it is one that reflects a different understanding of justice than many are willing to accept.