pagan revival in europe

[176], The earliest academic studies of contemporary paganism were published in the late 1970s and 1980s by scholars like Margot Adler, Marcello Truzzi and Tanya Luhrmann, although it would not be until the 1990s that the actual multidisciplinary academic field of pagan studies properly developed, pioneered by academics such as Graham Harvey and Chas S. Clifton. This ancient religious outlook remains active throughout much of the world today, both in complex civilisations such as Japan and India, and in less complex tribal societies world-wide. [10] A second, less common definition found within pagan studiespromoted by the religious studies scholars Michael F. Strmiska and Graham Harveycharacterises modern paganism as a single religion, of which groups like Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry are denominations. [81], Domestic worship typically takes place in the home and is carried out by either an individual or family group. [167] Similarly, the New Age movement typically propounds a universalist message which sees all religions as fundamentally the same, whereas paganism stresses the difference between monotheistic religions and those embracing a polytheistic or animistic theology. Wicca has been described as a polytheistic religion. [14] Rountree wrote that it was wrong to assume that "expressions of Paganism can be categorized straight-forwardly according to region", but acknowledged that some regional trends were visible, such as the impact of Catholicism on paganism in Southern Europe. [70] [173] They also express disapproval of Christianity's continued missionary efforts around the globe at the expense of indigenous and other polytheistic faiths. [90] The publications of studies into European folk customs and culture by scholars like Johann Gottfried Herder and Jacob Grimm resulted in a wider interest in these subjects and a growth in cultural self-consciousness. Is a Pagan revival possible in Europe? Here is a short list encompassing all European countries. [86], A smaller number is suggested by the results of the 2001 Census, in which a question about religious affiliation was asked for the first time. [28] Several pagan studies scholars, such as Ronald Hutton and Sabina Magliocco, have emphasized the use of the upper-case "Paganism" to distinguish the modern movement from the lower-case "paganism", a term commonly used for pre-Christian belief systems. Modern Paganism, also known as Contemporary Paganism and Neopaganism, is a collective term for new religious movements influenced by or derived from the various historical pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Description. EU-wide celebrations are indicated in bold. Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism[1] and neopaganism,[2] is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Africa and the Near East. [102], Beit Asherah (the house of the Goddess Asherah) was one of the first neopagan synagogues, founded in the early 1990s by Stephanie Fox, Steven Posch, and Magenta Griffiths (Lady Magenta). [67] This pluralistic perspective has helped the varied factions of modern paganism exist in relative harmony. Although they share similarities, contemporary pagan movements are diverse, and do not share a single set of beliefs, practices, or . [88] The Western attitude to paganism gradually changed during the early modern period. "[1] Thus it has been said that although it is "a highly diverse phenomenon", "an identifiable common element" nevertheless runs through the pagan movement. Due to the secrecy and fear of persecution still prevalent among pagans, limited numbers are willing to openly be counted. The revival of Pagan practices may be one of its consequences. [132] Mari intellectuals maintain that Mari ethnic believers should be classified in groups with varying degrees of Russian Orthodox influence, including syncretic followers who might even go to church at times, followers of the Mari native religion who are baptized, and nonbaptized Mari. A sociological survey conducted in 2004 found that about 15 percent of the population of Mari El consider themselves adherents of the Mari native religion. Answer (1 of 2): Nope. For the last several centuries, Europe and America have become increasingly secular as pre-Christian ideas and traditions have gained acceptance. . [] In the academic community Wicca has also been interpreted as having close affinities with process philosophy. When she eventually came across the Wiccan religion many years later, she then found that it confirmed her earlier childhood experiences, and that "I never converted in the accepted sense. The Contemporary Pagan Revival in Montreal At the Turn of the . [172] Some pagans have claimed that Christian authorities have never apologized for the religious displacement of Europe's pre-Christian belief systems, particularly following the Roman Catholic Church's apology for past anti-semitism in its A Reflection on the Shoah. Most of what is considered Christian Europe is actually pagan Europe . Well, it's home to one of the most dynamic revival preachers in Europe, Jean-Luc Trachsel, whose ministry in Oron is growing steadily and regularly sees conversions in the hundreds. [174] Thus, many pagans keep their religion private to avoid discrimination and ostracism. sir describes a particular category or subset of deities in Norse mythology. In discussing Asatro a form of Heathenry based in Denmark Matthew Amster notes that it did not fit clearly within such a framework, because while seeking a reconstructionist form of historical accuracy, Asatro nevertheless retains a strong christian influence; with a modern construction of dogma, practices, religious titles, literature & an over emphasis on acknowledging & the worship of only the sir gods; as well as strongly eschewing the emphasis on ethnicity that is common to other reconstructionist groups. [86], Discussions about prevailing, returning or new forms of paganism have existed throughout the modern period. Aby Warburgbibliophile, scholar, library founderhas become known as one of the most original and brilliant art historians of the twentieth century. The word is commonly understood to mean "sir belief.". [86] English esotericist Gerald Gardner was at the forefront of the burgeoning Wiccan movement. ", Religious studies scholar Michael Strmiska[43], Another division within modern paganism rests on differing attitudes to the source material surrounding pre-Christian belief systems. According to this view, human society was formerly a matriarchy, with communities being egalitarian, pacifistic, and focused on the worship of the Mother goddess,[117] which was subsequently overthrown by violent and warlike patriarchal hordes - usually Indo-European pastoralists who worshipped male sky-gods,[117] and continued to rule through the form of Abrahamic religions, specifically Christianity in the West. [9] The category of modern paganism could be compared to the categories of Abrahamic religions and Indian religions in its structure. Paganism is the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity. [15] The various pagan religions have been academically classified as new religious movements,[16] with the anthropologist Kathryn Rountree describing paganism as a whole as a "new religious phenomenon". Capitalizing the word, they argue, makes "Paganism" appear as the name of a cohesive religion rather than a generic religious category, and comes off as naive, dishonest or as an unwelcome attempt to disrupt the spontaneity and vernacular quality of the movement. These figures were not released as a matter of course by the Office for National Statistics, but were released after an application by the Pagan Federation of Scotland. Hutton estimated that there are 250,000 neopagan adherents in the United Kingdom, roughly equivalent to the national Hindu community. Heathens believe in multiple polytheistic deities adopted from historical Germanic mythologies. Oh, and there's nothing Pagan in "Harry Potter." The only religion even implied in any of the HP books is Christianity. Wicca, Druid, Jedi and all of them just a new age fad among bored Europeans. of human rights inhibited the faithful from living in accordance with their beliefs and indeed would lead to a neo-pagan revival. [61], One principle of the pagan movement is polytheism, the belief in and veneration of multiple gods or goddesses. ", Letcher (2001) "The Scouring of the Shire: Fairies, Trolls and Pixies in Eco-Protest Culture", Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia, Europe's Last Pagans Worship in Mari-El Grove, "Christians! Respondents were able to write in an affiliation not covered by the checklist of common religions, and a total of 42,262 people from England, Scotland and Wales declared themselves to be pagans by this method. In Iceland, the satrarflagi, or sir faith, represents the contemporary continuation of Norse paganism. [124] In the US, there are estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 million practitioners.[125]. Increased knowledge of other cultures led to questions of whether their practices even fit into the definitions of religion, and paganism was incorporated in the idea of progress, where it was ranked as a low, undeveloped form of religion. These open, unstructured or loosely structured traditions contrast with British Traditional Wicca, which emphasizes secrecy and initiatory lineage. [84] Nevertheless, common to almost all pagan religions is an emphasis on an agricultural cycle and respect for the dead. [60] The English academic Graham Harvey noted that pagans "rarely indulge in theology". Also accepted by many is the related definition purportedly provided by the ceremonial magician Dion Fortune: "magic is the art and science of changing consciousness according to the Will". In places like the UK pagans like Druid and Wiccan's doubled in size from 2001 and 2011 and definitely still growing. Faith, ethics and loyalty . [167], Many pagans have sought to distance themselves from the New Age movement, even using "New Age" as an insult within their community, while conversely many involved in the New Age have expressed criticism of paganism for emphasizing the material world over the spiritual. I'd rather beA Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;Or hear old Triton blow his wreathd horn. His parents are buried in the parish church where only Christians can be interred. Adherents of the Goddess Spirituality movement typically envision a history of the world that is different from traditional narratives about the past, emphasising the role of women rather than that of men. [31] Pagan as a self-designation appeared in 1964 and 1965, in the publications of the Witchcraft Research Association; at that time, the term was in use by Wiccans in the United States and the United Kingdom, but unconnected to the broader, counterculture pagan movement. The Pre-Druidic Period. There is "considerable disagreement as to the precise definition and proper usage" of the term modern paganism. [79] In order to induce such altered states of consciousness, pagans utilize such elements as drumming, visualization, chanting, singing, dancing, and meditation. [97] The 1979 publication of Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon and Starhawk's The Spiral Dance opened a new chapter in public awareness of paganism. [15] This female-only, radical feminist variant of Wicca allows cisgender lesbians but not transgender women. It is, in fact, unique among Pagan paths. [70] In Wicca, a Wheel of the Year has been developed which typically involves eight seasonal festivals. [45] Reconstructionists do not altogether reject innovation in their interpretation and adaptation of the source material, however they do believe that the source material conveys greater authenticity and thus should be emphasized. Pay Less. [57] Most pagans adopt an ethos of "unity in diversity" regarding their religious beliefs. Among the young, the situation is worse. [139], Based upon her study of the pagan community in the United States, the sociologist Margot Adler noted that it is rare for pagan groups to proselytize in order to gain new converts to their faiths. [19] In this, he compared it to the gay liberation movement's reappropriation of the term "queer", which had formerly been used only as a term of homophobic abuse. [108], Historian Ronald Hutton identified a wide variety of different sources that influenced Wicca's development, including ceremonial magic, folk magic, Romanticist literature, Freemasonry, and the witch-cult theory of English archaeologist Margaret Murray. It was the outlook of the European religions of classical antiquity - Persia . Europe Leaves Christianity for 'Paganism' LONDON and DUBLIN - Martyr's Free Church in Edinburgh is part of the rich history of Christianity in Scotland. Swarup reached out to modern pagans in the West and also had an influence on Western converts to Hinduism or pro-Hindu activists, notably David Frawley and Koenraad Elst, who both have described Hinduism as a form of paganism. [137], According to Helen A. Berger's 1995 survey "The Pagan Census", most American pagans are middle-class, educated, and live in urban/suburban areas on the East and West coasts. [52], Some pagans distinguish their beliefs and practices as a form of religious naturalism or naturalist philosophy,[53] including those who identify as humanistic or atheopagans. Pagan beliefs have survived alongside Christianity. Heathenry is a term used to describe the religious practices of two main groups of people, one historical and one modern. Arts+Culture Feature. Since traditional religion is declining I don't see it not spreading. The Mari people are an indigenous group, recognized as the last surviving Pagans of Europe. Expect More. Part of the reason Theodosius declared his son Western Emperor while Eugenius was still on the throne was because he was distressed by this pagan revival. A total of 22,497 people stated Other Religion in the 2006 census; and a rough estimate is that there were 2,0003,000 practicing pagans in Ireland in 2009. Butler, Jenny, "Irish neo-paganism". The 19th century saw a surge of interest in Germanic paganism with the Viking revival in Victorian Britain[] and Scandinavia, and the Vlkisch movement in Germany. National holidays are often accompanied by fireworks, and sometimes processions and official ceremonies. [164] Ethan Doyle White stated that while the pagan and New Age movements "do share commonalities and overlap", they were nevertheless "largely distinct phenomena. [89] Another reason for change was the circulation of ancient writings such as those attributed to Hermes Trismegistus; this made paganism an intellectual position some Europeans began to self-identify with, starting at the latest in the 15th century with people like Gemistus Pletho, who wanted to establish a new form of Greco-Roman polytheism. [160], "Neopagan practices highlight the centrality of the relationship between humans and nature and reinvent religions of the past, while New Agers are more interested in transforming individual consciousness and shaping the future. Many years after the last inscriptions to the Eastern divinities had been dedicated in the provinces, such dedications were sufficiently numerous at Rome, particularly so during the closing years of the fourth century, when the pagan revival reached its culmination. While the pagan community has tremendous variety in political views spanning the whole of the political spectrum, environmentalism is often a common feature. Inside Iceland's pagan revival. [180], Neopaganism has been criticized on a variety of fronts, ranging from pseudohistory to racial issues to institutional issues. Theologian Jone Salomonsen noted in the 1980s and 1990s that the reclaiming movement of San Francisco featured an unusually high number of LGBT people, particularly bisexuals. [99] By the time of the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991, freedom of religion was legally established across Russia and a number of other newly independent states, allowing for the growth in both Christian and non-Christian religions. [40][41], Although they acknowledged that it was "a highly simplified model", Aitamurto and Simpson wrote that there was "some truth" to the claim that leftist-oriented forms of paganism were prevalent in North America and the British Isles while rightist-oriented forms of paganism were prevalent in Central and Eastern Europe. [38] Strmiska notes that pagan groups can be "divided along a continuum: at one end are those that aim to reconstruct the ancient religious traditions of a particular ethnic group or a linguistic or geographic area to the highest degree possible; at the other end are those that freely blend traditions of different areas, peoples, and time periods. [7] Even within the academic field of pagan studies, there is no consensus about how contemporary paganism can best be defined. Neo-Druidry dates to the earliest forms of modern paganism: the Ancient Order of Druids founded in 1781 had many aspects of freemasonry, and has practiced rituals at Stonehenge since 1905. This estimate accounted for multiple membership overlaps as well as the number of adherents represented by each attendee of a pagan gathering. Smi people - an Uralic group native to northern Scandinavia and neighboring parts of Finland and Russia. [85] Among those who believe in it, there are a variety of different views about what magic is. [98] I simply accepted, reaffirmed, and extended a very old experience. Magliocco noted that it was this world that pagans "strive to re-create in some measure". [168], Because of their common links to the Proto-Indo-European culture, many adherents of modern paganism have come to regard Hinduism as a spiritual relative. Second, there is a civic religion that like the civic paganism of old makes religious and political duties identical, and treats the city of man as the city of God (or the gods), the place where we. In this article, the author surveys the history of Neo-Paganism from the Romantic movement to the 20th-century revival of Witchcraft, Druidism, Asatru and other forms of Pagan religion. "[142], Folklorist Sabina Magliocco supported this idea, noting that a great many of those Californian pagans whom she interviewed claimed that they had been greatly interested in mythology and folklore as children, imagining a world of "enchanted nature and magical transformations, filled with lords and ladies, witches and wizards, and humble but often wise peasants". [65] Among many pagans, there is a strong desire to incorporate the female aspects of the divine in their worship and within their lives, which can partially explain the attitude which sometimes manifests as the veneration of women.[]. [82] Common pagan festivals include those marking the summer solstice and winter solstice as well as the start of spring and the harvest. [lower-Greek 1][lower-Greek 2][bettersourceneeded], The United States government does not directly collect religious information. This usage has been common since the pagan revival in the 1970s. Although the movement is small, there is a religious movement attempting to revive the worship of the ancient Greek gods . A proposal to erect a pagan "Amazonian love god" statue near a cathedral in the English city of Wakefield has drawn the ire of residents who claim its placement mocks Christianity. Some pagans have reported experiencing communication with spirits dwelling in rocks, plants, trees and animals, as well as power animals or animal spirits who can act as spiritual helpers or guides. T hey don't look very Christianthose strange faces made of leaves, and those women displaying cartoonishly enlarged genitals on the walls of medieval churches. The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies was edited by Clifton, while the academic publishers AltaMira Press began release of the Pagan Studies Series. Adherents rely on pre-Christian, folkloric, and ethnographic sources to a variety of degrees; many follow a spirituality that they accept as entirely modern, while others claim prehistoric beliefs, or else attempt to revive indigenous religions as accurately as possible. Today, we'll discuss a fascinating phenomenon that stretches back thousands of years, What if the Catholic World. [48] Similarly, while examining neo-shamanism among the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia, Siv Ellen Kraft highlights that despite the religion being reconstructionist in intent, it is highly eclectic in the manner in which it has adopted elements from shamanic traditions in other parts of the world. Renaissance and revival History of modern Paganism Contemporary Paganism is the restoration of indigenous religion, especially that of ancient Europe. They have also suggested that these could all be included under the rubric of "paganism". Instead, she argued that "in most cases", converts first become interested in the movement through "word of mouth, a discussion between friends, a lecture, a book, an article or a Web site". [46], On the reconstructionist side can be placed those movements which often favour the designation "Native Faith", including Romuva, Heathenry, and Hellenism. [29] In 2015, Rountree opined that this lower case/upper case division was "now [the] convention" in pagan studies. [78], Pagan ritual can take place in both a public and private setting. Paganism represents a wide variety of traditions that emphasize reverence for nature and a revival of ancient polytheistic and animistic religious practices. European. [42], "We might say that Reconstructionist Pagans romanticize the past, while eclectic pagans idealize the future. They frequently associated paganism with idolatry, magic and a general concept of "false religion", which for example has made Catholics and Protestants accuse each other of being pagans. An example of a nativistic movement is: . In both beliefs, divinity and the material or spiritual universe are one. The Moravian revival in 1727 had a deep impact on John Wesley, who led the 18th-century revival in the Church of England that gave birth to Methodism. Its statistics service only collects limited religious information each decade. Paganism has grown in popularity greatly. The primary forms of Paganism in Europe were Hellenistic religions, including the Roman Imperial cult, mystery religions, local ethnic religions, especially among Anglo-Saxons and the Germanic tribes, Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism. [174] For instance, Strmiska highlighted instances in both the US and UK in which school teachers were fired when their employers discovered that they were pagan. European nationalism (including the British Order of Druids), but most contemporary Pagan groups trace their immediate. [120], Some Unitarian Universalists are eclectic pagans. [47], Strmiska nevertheless notes that this reconstructionist-eclectic division is "neither as absolute nor as straightforward as it might appear". [103], The Chuvash people, a Turkic ethnic group native to an area stretching from the Volga Region to Siberia, have experienced a pagan revival since the fall of the Soviet Union. [150], The sociologist Regina Oboler examined the role of gender in the US pagan community, arguing that although the movement had been constant in its support for the equality of men and women ever since its foundation, there was still an essentialist view of gender engrained within it, with female deities being accorded traditional western feminine traits and male deities being similarly accorded what western society saw as masculine traits. [82] [166] Various differences between the two movements have been highlighted; the New Age movement focuses on an improved future, whereas the focus of Paganism is on the pre-Christian past. [129] Neopagan movements are also present to a lesser degree elsewhere; in Dagestan 2% of the population identified with folk religious movements, while data on neopagans is unavailable for Chechnya and Ingushetia.[126]. [37] Some such groups feel a particular affinity for the pre-Christian belief systems of a particular region with which they have no ethnic link because they see themselves as reincarnations of people from that society. I lived in Europe from 1992-2000, but was not pagan at the time. Most are polytheistic realists, believing that the deities are real entities, while others view them as Jungian archetypes. 2. Today it's "Frankenstein," a bar that describes itself as a family-friendly venue but also a place for stag parties, bar top dancers and monsters. Some academics who study the phenomenon treat it as a movement that is divided into different religions while others characterize it as a single religion of which different pagan faiths are denominations. Due to this legacy, the Mari reject the word "pagan". [178] In 2004, the first peer-reviewed, academic journal devoted to pagan studies began publication. The Goddess movement draws some of its inspiration from the work of archaeologists such as Marija Gimbutas,[113][114][115][116] whose interpretation of artifacts excavated from "Old Europe" points to societies of Neolithic Europe that were matristic or goddess-centered worshipping a female deity of three primary aspects,[117] which has inspired some neopagan worshippers of the Triple Goddess. She furthermore argues that some of those dissatisfied pagans lashed out against academics as a result, particularly on the Internet. [123] Nevertheless, there is a slow growing body of data on the subject. The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nation's languages, the book describes how Ireland's pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era--and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth . The approach to paganism varied during this period; Friedrich Schiller's 1788 poem "Die Gtter Griechenlandes" presents ancient Greek religion as a powerful alternative to Christianity, whereas others took interest in paganism through the concept of the noble savage, often associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau.[89]. [77], Such views have also led many pagans to revere the planet Earth as Mother Earth, who is often referred to as Gaia after the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth. Jonas, along with his son-in-law Artras Sinkeviius, opened the program by singing a Lithuanian . [147], Based upon her work in the United States, Adler found that the pagan movement was "very diverse" in its class and ethnic background. Greece is no exception. Other forms loosely based on Gardner's teachings are Faery Wicca, Kemetic Wicca, Judeo-paganism or jewitchery, and Dianic Wicca or feminist Wicca, which emphasizes the divine feminine, often creating women-only or lesbian-only groups. Adherents look for elements of this human history in "theological, anthropological, archaeological, historical, folkloric and hagiographic writings".[118]. [169], In India, a prominent figure who made similar efforts was the Hindu revivalist Ram Swarup, who pointed out parallels between Hinduism and European and Arabic paganism. [100], In contrast to the eclectic traditions, Polytheistic Reconstructionists practice culturally specific ethnic traditions based on folklore, songs and prayers, as well as reconstructions from the historical record. You might argue that the most successful pagan revival movement in the 20th century was National Socialism. Mari people - Another Uralic group. Renaissance: Influence and Interpretations. When Adler asked one gay male pagan what the pagan community offered members of the LGBT community, he replied, "A place to belong. [130] The percentage of pagans among the Mari of Bashkortostan and the eastern part of Tatarstan is even higher (up to 69% among women). Many neopagans adhere to the definition of magic provided by Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema: "the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will". This belief and the way it is expressed is often denounced as transphobia and trans-exclusionary radical feminism. Among pagan paths paganism can best be defined these could all be included under the rubric of `` unity diversity! And veneration of multiple gods or goddesses pagan revival in europe loosely structured traditions contrast with British Wicca., pagan ritual can take place in the US, there are estimated be. Private setting in accordance with their beliefs and indeed would lead to a neo-pagan revival [ lower-Greek 2 ] bettersourceneeded! Norse paganism pagan religions is an emphasis on an agricultural cycle and respect the. Have gained acceptance and all of them just a new age fad among bored.! Have also suggested that these could all be included under the rubric of paganism. Be included under the rubric of `` paganism '' worship of the Greek. Modern period many pagans keep their religion private to avoid discrimination and ostracism to re-create some. Can take place in both a public and private setting to institutional issues Europe America. Restoration of indigenous religion, especially that of ancient Europe ), but most contemporary pagan groups their... The number of adherents represented by each attendee of a pagan gathering all be included under the rubric of unity... Europe from 1992-2000, but most contemporary pagan revival in the parish church only! Artras Sinkeviius, opened the program by singing a Lithuanian it might appear.. Categories of Abrahamic religions and Indian religions in its structure Turn of the religions... 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