On the Pagan Parallax: A Sociocultural Exploration of the Tension between Eclecticism and Traditionalism as Observed among Dutch Wiccans
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/pome.v12i1.49Keywords:
Contemporary Paganism, Invention of Tradition, Individualism, Motivation, BeliefsAbstract
Post-modern nature religions face the challenge of justifying their practices and theology since there is no unbroken line between the classic and contemporary Paganisms of the Western world. Against the background of progressing historical knowledge, these religions constantly have to reinvent or reconstruct their traditions. At the same time, the present context is entirely different to that of when the classic Paganisms emerged. By discussing their roots in romanticism and expressivism, both the relevancy of the revived nature religions and the challenges they face, are explained. These issues are illustrated by drawing on initial results of content analyses of on-line discussions between Dutch Pagans, yielding imaginative narratives of self-justification and self-identification amidst a continuous tension between traditionalism and eclecticism. Contemporary Paganism as a movement is argued to counterbalance sociohistorical developments by its changing acts of sanctioning, its aim to remain the maverick, and its constant strive for experiential receptivity.References
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Boden, Margaret A. “What is Creativity?” In Dimensions of Creativity, edited by Margaret A. Boden, 75-117. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1994.
Coco, Angela, and Ian Woodward. “Discourses of Authenticity within a Pagan Community: The Emergence of the ‘Fuffy Bunny’ sanction.: Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 36 (2007): 479-504.
Connerton, Paul. How Modernity Forgets. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Cowan, Douglas E. Cyberhenge: Modern Pagans on the Internet. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Gergen, Kenneth J.The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. New York: Basic Books, 2000.
Giddens, Anthony. Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age Cambridge: Policy Press, 1991.
Harrington, Melissa. “Conversion to Wicca?” Diskus WebEdition 6 (2000). http:// www.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/diskus/harrington. html.
Haythornthwaite, Caroline. “Social Networks and Online Community,” in The Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology, edited by Adam Joinson, Katelyn McKenna, Tom Postmes, and Ulf-Dietrich Reips, 121-37. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Hervieu-Léger, Danièle. “Individualism, The Validation Of Faith, and the Social Nature of Religion in Modernity.” In The Blackwell Companion to Sociology of Religion, edited by Richard K. Fenn, 161-75. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001.
Hobsbawm, Eric. “Introduction: Inventing Traditions.” In The Invention of Tradition, edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, 1-14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
William. The Principles of Psychology. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1981 [1890].
James, William. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1902.
Jennings, Pete. Pagan Paths: A Guide to Wicca, Druidry, Asatrú, Shamanism and Other Pagan Practices. London: Rider, 2002.
Lamond, Frederic. Religion Without Beliefs: Essays in Pantheist Theology, Comparative Religion and Ethics. London: Janus, 1997.
Levin, Janet. “Qualia,” In The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences, edited by Robert A. Wilson, and Frank C. Keil, 693-94. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Maassen, Theo. Ruwe Pit. DVD. Directed by Martijn Bouwman. Hilversum, The Netherlands: PIAS, 2005.
MacMorgan, Kaatryn. Wicca 333: Advanced Topics in Wiccan Belief. Lincoln, Nebr.: iUniverse, 2003. Pratt, James B. Eternal Values in Religion. New York: MacMillan, 1950.
———. The Religious Consciousness. New York: Cosmido, 2005 [1920].
Puckett, Robert. “Re-enchanting the World: A Weberian Analysis of Wiccan Charisma.” In Handbook of Contemporary Paganism, edited by James R. Lewis and Murphy Pizza, 121-152. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
Reed, Edward S. The Necessity of Experience. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1996.
Reid, Síân. “‘A Religion without Converts’ Revisited: Individuals, Identity, and Community in Contemporary Paganism.” In Handbook of Contemporary Paganism, edited by James R. Lewis and Murphy Pizza, 171-191. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
Stace, Walter T. Mysticism and Philosophy. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1960.
Strmiska, Michael F. “Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives.” In Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives, edited by Michael F. Strmiska, 1-53. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 2005.
Taylor, Charles. Sources of the Self: The Making of Modern Identity. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1989.
Wulff, David, M. “James Pratt and the Religious Consciousness.” In Psychology of Religion: Classic and Contemporary, 505-523. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
Zimbardo, Philip G., and Michael R. Leippe. “Influencing Attitudes Through Behavior: When Doing Becomes Believing.” In The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence, 87-126. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991.
Published
2011-01-11
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
van Gulik, L. (2011). On the Pagan Parallax: A Sociocultural Exploration of the Tension between Eclecticism and Traditionalism as Observed among Dutch Wiccans. Pomegranate, 12(1), 49-70. https://doi.org/10.1558/pome.v12i1.49
