▁" th ese ▁have ▁typically ▁fr amed ▁magic ▁in ▁relation ▁to , ▁or ▁more ▁frequently ▁in ▁distinction ▁from , ▁religion ▁and ▁science ." ▁Since ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁the ▁social ▁sciences , ▁magic ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁" central ▁theme ▁in ▁the ▁theoretical ▁literature " ▁produced ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁operating ▁in ▁these ▁academic ▁discipl ines . ▁Magic ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁heavily ▁the or ized ▁concepts ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁religion , ▁and ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁early ▁the or ising ▁within ▁anth rop ology . ▁St y ers ▁believed ▁that ▁it ▁held ▁such ▁a ▁strong ▁appeal ▁for ▁social ▁the or ists ▁because ▁it ▁provides ▁" such ▁a ▁rich ▁site ▁for ▁art icul ating ▁and ▁contest ing ▁the ▁nature ▁and ▁boundaries ▁of ▁modern ity ". ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁commonly ▁used ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁fo il ▁for ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁religion , ▁regarding ▁magic ▁as ▁the ▁" il leg it imate ▁( and ▁eff em in ized ) ▁sib ling " ▁of ▁religion . ▁Altern ately , ▁others ▁have ▁used ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁middle - ground ▁category ▁located ▁between ▁religion ▁and ▁science . ▁ ▁The ▁context ▁in ▁which ▁sch ol ars ▁fr amed ▁their ▁discuss ions ▁of ▁magic ▁was ▁informed ▁by ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁European ▁colonial ▁power ▁across ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁period . ▁These ▁repeated ▁attempts ▁to ▁define ▁magic ▁reson ated ▁with ▁bro ader ▁social ▁concerns , ▁and ▁the ▁p li ability ▁of ▁the ▁concept ▁has ▁allowed ▁it ▁to ▁ ▁be ▁" read