This chapter examines the complex landscape of spiritual authority in Late Antiquity, focusing on the distinctions between theurgy, magic and miracles. It positions Iamblichus’ Response to Porphyry as an attempt to establish theurgy as a legitimate and distinct religious practice superior to ‘vulgar magic’. The analysis explores how spiritual authority manifested across social strata, from itinerant marketplace magicians to elite philosophers, and how religious power operated as an equalising force between genders in both pagan and Christian contexts. The chapter contextualises Iamblichus’ work within the socio-political environment of Diocletian's religious traditionalism and explores how Neoplatonic philosophers navigated accusations of sorcery while establishing their legitimacy. It examines female figures who gained spiritual authority through theurgic practice, including Sosipatra and Hypatia, contrasting them with their Christian counterparts. The discussion reveals how ritual expertise—whether through theurgy, divination or prophecy—allowed individuals to transcend traditional social hierarchies. Ultimately, Iamblichus emerges as a religious reformer seeking to establish an ‘orthopraxy’ that would resignify traditional religious practices through philosophical contemplation and ritual precision.