Patrick Fabien, «La conversion de Simon le magicien (Ac 8,4-25)», Vol. 91 (2010) 210-240
The episode of Simon the magician is found in a transitional section and inaugurates a series of conversions between chapters 8 and 11. When the missionaries leave Jerusalem, they encounter new obstacles. This article focuses on Simon’s conversion: is he truly converted? As magic is very powerful and can clothe any religious system reducing it to its own vision, based on the magician’s power, the reader wonders till the end of the story. On the one hand, Philip and Simon as well as Peter and Simon are depicted in a mimetic parallelism; on the other hand, Peter denounces the magician and condemns him by ruining his reputation. At the end of the story, Simon is a deflated matamore left alone with himself. Will he change his magic vision and behaviour? No one knows but himself.
240 PATRICK FABIEN
L’analyse littéraire enracinée dans l’histoire met en évidence de
manière saisissante la complexité du personnage de Simon et
l’ambiguïté de la magie. Le magicien a la peau dure et n’abandonne
pas le terrain au premier coup de semonce. Cependant, Luc règle le
cas-Simon en s’inspirant de la littérature de son époque montrant
ainsi une grande familiarité avec le monde de son temps. Il ruine la
réputation du magicien et l’expose à l’opprobre de son public et du
lectorat. Simon le fanfaron est rempli de lui-même et ne sera jamais
suivi par un public averti. Ainsi, le récit de Simon peut servir de
paradigme pour comprendre le fonctionnement d’un magicien et
l’impact de la magie dans l’univers de la foi. À travers la dénoncia-
tion de Simon, Luc offre à son lectorat d’hier et d’aujourd’hui des
repères pour discerner entre le vrai et le faux religieux. La question
reste toujours d’actualité.
Séminaire inter-îles Patrick FABIEN
5, rue Balfour,
Beau-Bassin, Ile Maurice
SUMMARY
The episode of Simon the magician is found in a transitional section and inaugurates
a series of conversions between chapters 8 and 11. When the missionaries leave Jeru-
salem, they encounter new obstacles. This article focuses on Simon’s conversion: is
he truly converted? As magic is very powerful and can clothe any religious system
reducing it to its own vision, based on the magician’s power, the reader wonders till
the end of the story. On the one hand, Philip and Simon as well as Peter and Simon
are depicted in a mimetic parallelism; on the other hand, Peter denounces the magi-
cian and condemns him by ruining his reputation. At the end of the story, Simon is a
deflated matamore left alone with himself. Will he change his magic vision and
behaviour ? No one knows but himself.