ThaumaturgyThaumaturgy is the capability of a magician or a saint to

work magic or miracles. Isaac Bonewits defined thaumaturgy as "the use of magic for non-religious
purposes; the art and science of 'wonder-working;' using magic to actually change things in the
physical world".[1] It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking.[2] A practitioner of
thaumaturgy is a "thaumaturgus", "thaumaturge", "thaumaturgist" or "miracle worker".

Contents

• 1Etymology
• 2Buddhism
• 3Christianity
• 4Hinduism
• 5Islam
• 6Judaism
• 7Magic
o 7.1Hermetic Qabalah
• 8Philosophy
• 9In popular culture
• 10See also
• 11References
• 12External links

Etymology[edit]
Thaumaturgy (/ˈθɔːmətɜːrdʒi/ ( listen)), is from Greek θαῦμα thaûma, meaning "miracle" or "marvel"
and ἔργον érgon, meaning "work".

Buddhism[edit]
See also: Abhijñā
In the introduction of his translation of the "Spiritual Powers (神通 Jinzū)" chapter
of Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō, Carl Bielefel refers to the powers developed by adepts of Buddhist
meditation as belonging to the "thaumaturgical tradition".[3]

Christianity[edit]
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See also: Gift of miracles
In Greek writings, the term thaumaturge referred to several Christian saints. The word is usually
translated into English as "wonderworker": a saint through whom God works miracles, not just
occasionally, but as a matter of course. Famous ancient Christian thaumaturges include Gregory
Thaumaturgus (c. 213–270), Saint Menas of Egypt (285–c. 309), Saint Nicholas (270–343), Anthony
of Padua (1195–1231), Philomena (fl. c. 300 (?)), Ambrose of Optina (1812–1891), Gerard
Majella (1726–1755) and John of Kronstadt (1829–1908). The Bishop of Fiesole, Andrew Corsini of
the Carmelites (1302–1373), was also called a thaumaturge during his lifetime. The seventeenth-
century Irish Franciscan editor, John Colgan, called the three early Irish saints, Patrick, Brigid and
Columba, thaumaturges in his Acta Triadis Thaumaturgae (Louvain, 1647).

Hinduism[edit]
See also: Godman (India)
Godman is a colloquial term used in India for a type of charismatic guru. They usually have a high-
profile presence, and are capable of attracting attention and support from large sections of the
society.[4] Godmen also sometimes claim to possess paranormal powers, such as the ability to
heal, the ability to see or influence future events, and the ability to read minds.[5]

Islam[edit]
Main article: Islamic view of miracles
Miracles in the Qur'an can be defined as supernatural interventions in the life of human
beings.[6] According to this definition, miracles are present "in a threefold sense: in sacred history, in
connection with the Islamic prophet Muhammad himself and in relation to revelation".[6] The Qur'an
does not use the technical Arabic word for miracle (muʿjiza), literally meaning "that by means of
which [the Prophet] confounds, overwhelms, his opponents". It rather uses the
term āyah "sign".[7] The term Ayah is used in the Qur'an in the above mentioned threefold sense: it
refers to the "verses" of the Qur'an (believed to be the divine speech in human language, presented
by Muhammad as his chief miracle); as well as to miracles of it and the signs (particularly those of
creation).[6][7]

Judaism[edit]
See also: Practical Kabbalah and Baal Shem

Magic[edit]
In the 16th century, the word thaumaturgy entered the English language meaning miraculous or
magical powers. The word was first anglicized and used in the magical sense in John Dee's
book Mathematicall Praeface to Euclid's Elements (1570). He mentions an "art mathematical" called
"thaumaturgy... which giveth certain order to make strange works, of the sense to be perceived and
of men greatly to be wondered at".
In Dee's time, "the Mathematicks" referred not merely to the abstract computations associated with
the term today, but to physical mechanical devices which employed mathematical principles in their
design. These devices, operated by means of compressed air, springs, strings, pulleys or levers,
were seen by unsophisticated people (who did not understand their working principles) as magical
devices which could only have been made with the aid of demons and devils.[8]
By building such mechanical devices, Dee earned a reputation as a conjurer "dreaded" by
neighborhood children.[8] He complained of this assessment in his "Mathematicall Praeface":
And for these, and such like marvellous Actes and Feates, Naturally, and Mechanically, wrought and
contrived: ought any honest Student and Modest Christian Philosopher, be counted, & called a
Conjurer? Shall the folly of Idiotes, and the Malice of the Scornfull, so much prevaille ... Shall that
man, be (in hugger mugger) condemned, as a Companion of the hellhoundes, and a Caller, and
Conjurer of wicked and damned Spirites?[8