This study represents a radical rethinking of traditional distinctions involving the term "religion" in the ancient Greek world and beyond, through late antiquity to the 17th century. It promotes the fluidity of such concepts as religion and magic and highlights the wide variety of meanings evoked by these shifting terms from ancient to modern times. The contributors put these meanings to the test, applying a wide range of methods in exploring the many varieties of available historical, archaeological, iconographical and literary evidence. Thus their aim is that both terms emerge in a new light, with broader applications and deeper meanings.