Question #1- What is paganism?

[sunvenus]

Ya know, it sucks & blows that defining this word is so tough. We all know it is an umbrella term for a large gathering of paths, traditions & religions. We know that most of these paths are orthopraxic. We know that some are polytheistic- but some are not. A tiny handful are earth-worshipping, most are not. Most of them are as different from one

Comments

[sunvenus]

Thank you so much for the input & the links to your writings. I think you have hit the nail on the head- there may be no way to define it precisely, and that may have to be just how I write the definition. I agree that it is much clearer to define ourselves by our specific paths, and maybe what I will need to do is define paths for those that are as yet pathless (so to speak), and of course really hype the hell out of two very useful words: "student" and "seeker".

*le sigh* Why can't I be compelled to write about something less complicated? Muses- stop torturng me! What did I ever do to you? ;-)

[sunvenus]

I remember that! I never used the word as it just didn't feel right to me, but I suppose I amy not have given it a fair shake.

And do I recall correctly a really funny part of is website where one could submit the goofiest freakin' pagan names they came across? Good times, good times. ;-)

[frater_treinta]

Well, personally my working definition of non-Pagan is anyone performing spiritual practice who draws more than 30% of their inspiration from the Hebrew scriptures. Thus: If you are not a Jew, Christian, Muslim, "Classical" Satanist, or practice an independent Bible-based theology, you qualify as a Pagan. My response to "But we're not" is "under my definition you are, unless you're hiding something about your scriptures

[sunvenus]

Thank you for the input. The definition is almost easier to aprehend when tied into "nots", but I am still hard-pressed to find something that is inclusive to all legitimate forms of pagansim (yep being biased) and excluing of all no legitimte forms (bias again). That also means- if I take that track- that i have to poke & prod into each paradigm and be the arbiter of paganess/non-paganess. Nah, too much work!

As I worked a bit more late last night on the chapter where all this will go, I came to feel that maybe the whole book will be the definition. Perhaps part of defining paganism is recognising that it is not readily definable. If I couple that with the fact that most-if not all- pragan practices are orthopraxic, I may be on to something.

Then again, I may have to scrap it all and start over.

[frater_treinta]

Sometimes good Sociology is bad statistics. Perhaps you'd do well to start by making a "legitimate" list and an "illegitimate" list, and see what they have in common with each other and what they have different.

Another good question might be exactly what other categories might be needed to cover everything. Once you get used to breaking down certain groups, it may suggest better ways to break down paganism.

One last approach might be to organize Pagans by whether they are orthodoxic, orthopractic, or if they are neither but united by a common philosophy. Those connections may suggest a larger mapping between the sub-groups.

[sunvenus]

Dammit! You should know better to suggest lists to someone as obsessive and anal-retentive as me. ;-)

Listing... good idea.

I'll letcha know what I come up with.

A paganism definition

[sophia_sadek]

I did a series starting in July on paganism from the perspective of the bardic tradition. Here is an index into the month's postings. The paganism postings are towards the end of the month.

I leaned on the bardic tradition because it is the least "urban," which would be the technical opposite of "pagan."

Re: A paganism definition

[sunvenus]

Thank you for your input and I have been reading your articles. The issue that I have here is that you are defining paganism is an almost unified body of one religion (i.e. referring the "traditional" pagan gods as being that of the sun & the moon- not all pagans worship gods of the sun & the moon; or referring to it as "the pagan tradition" as if it all pagans believed and practiced the same things- Hellenic Polytheists are not the same as Asatruars, who aren't the same as neo-wiccans, etc

Re: A paganism definition

[sophia_sadek]

I suppose the difference is that I'm more concerned with anthropological pagan practice rather than current practice. I've generalized bardic culture to include modern bards, especially pop musicians. Anti-bardism appears in texts from the ancient world in Greece, India, and China.

Re: A paganism definition

[sunvenus]

Yeah, I think that is where our differences are coming from. I am writing this book for modern practicing pagans (or for those who think that is what they want to be) and I plan to cover everything from NRMs, reconstructionists paths, generic neo-paganism, etc. I will touch on historical paganism, but only as those individual and culturally based systems relate to the evolution of modern pagan systems.

And thank you again for the fascinating insight!