World Religions Week 9 - Paganism
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This document provides an introduction to Paganism from a Christian perspective. It begins with questions about Paganism and outlines a methodology for introducing and comparing faiths. It then provides a brief history of Paganism and explores key beliefs such as polytheism, nature worship, magic, and the wheel of the year. Areas of agreement and disagreement with Christianity are examined, such as views of God, humanity, and spirits. The goal is to equip Christians to have respectful discussions about faith with Pagans.
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World Religions Week 9 - Paganism
- 1. World Religions The Gospel and Friendship in a Pluralistic Suburb
- 2. What Do You Know? 1. Do ghost stories have a place in Christianity? 2. What do you know about Pagans? 3. Do you have any experience with Paganism? 4. What questions do you have about Paganism?
- 3. Our “Mars Hill” Methodology • A basic introduction to the faith’s worldview 1. • Areas of agreement between that faith and 2. Orthodox Christian theology and practice • Areas of disagreement between that faith 3. and Orthodox Christian theology and practice GOAL: To equip you to build a truth-seeking relationship with someone of another faith.
- 5. Pre-History
- 6. Pre-History
- 7. Pre-History
- 8. History Modernity Paganism
- 9. Paganism Today Wiccans Pantheists Pagans Satanists
- 10. Sacred Text: Important Authors Gardner, Modern Witchcraft Margot Adler Jeffrey Russell Dana Eilers
- 11. Sacred Text: Book of Shadows
- 12. Paganism Today Pre- Modernism Modernism
- 13. Paganism Today Humanism Deism
- 14. Beliefs: A Supernatural World
- 15. Beliefs: Gods and Goddesses Pantheism Dualism Polytheism
- 16. Beliefs: The God and Goddess
- 18. Beliefs: Magic My Will
- 19. Key Beliefs: The Five Elements
- 20. Beliefs: Reincarnation Reincarnation and Mediums
- 22. Key Beliefs: Wheel of the Year Mabon Samhain Autumn October Equinox 31 Lammas Yule August 1 Winter Solstice Litha Imbolc Summer February Solstice Ostara Beltane Spring May Day Equinox
- 23. Anti-Christian Gender Institution Hierarchy Morality Spiritual Encounters
- 24. Building Bridges to Paganism A Supernatural World The Value of Nature Devotion to God(s) Spiritual Practices
- 25. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Where is God?
- 26. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Pantheism Sustainer
- 27. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Where is God? Gender of God
- 28. Where Christianity and Atheism Disagree The Creator does not have gender. Gender is for creatures
- 29. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Where is God? What Gender is God? Nature of People
- 30. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Basically Good Fallen
- 31. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Where is God? What Gender is God? Nature of People What to do with Spirits
- 32. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree
- 33. Where Christianity and Paganism Disagree Where is God? What Gender is God? Nature of People What to do with Spirits
- 34. How Not to Build a Friendship Wicca is not Devil Worship Church has often been painful Personal Liberty is very important Religious Experiences are valuable
- 35. Got Questions? • jrforasteros@gmail.com • @jrforasteros • facebook.com/jrforasteros Submit Questions
Notas del editor
- Break into groups. Discuss!
- An umbrella term for a sort of pantheism. Because the category is so broad, we’re going to focus mainly on Wicca, which is the most popular (and most organized) form of Paganism. Much of what we cover will apply to many pagans.
- Many of the earliest human religions were polytheistic. We misunderstand what exactly Polytheism is. Gods are incarnations of natural powers. Humans can make appeals to these gods for help in their lives. In the ancient world, this always centered around fertility – rain, health, child-bearing.
- The term ‘Pagan’ originally meant ‘hillbilly’ in Roman culture. After Constantine Christianized the Empire, the people ‘out in the sticks’ were the last to hold onto the traditional polytheistic practices. ‘Pagan’ came to mean anyone who was polytheistic.
- The term ‘Pagan’ originally meant ‘hillbilly’ in Roman culture. After Constantine Christianized the Empire, the people ‘out in the sticks’ were the last to hold onto the traditional polytheistic practices. ‘Pagan’ came to mean anyone who was polytheistic.
- While there’ve always been pagan groups, they really gained popularity as a reaction to modernism. Founder of modern paganism Gerald Gardner 1952 Britain
- Those who worship a god, goddess or set of gods. Those who consider themselves witches and follow (to some degree) the teachings of GardnerThose who consider all things to be part of god. Broad category Really its own category (and rejected by most Pagans). Can be theistic or atheistic. Shares some values with other Pagans, like the focus on individuality.
- Gardner and Adler are guides to modern witchcraft.Russell is a scholar who deals with the history of paganismEilers chronicles landmark cases in protecting the religious freedom of pagans.
- DIY!
- Many pagans view their religious practices as direct resistance of dominant Christian culture. Because Pagan peoples have been persecuted by Christians throughout history, and because Christianity has appropriated many Christian practices, those who feel excluded by the Church (or a church, or a Christian) often feel drawn to Paganism. (more on this later)
- Pagan practice today is not identical to ancient polytheistic religions. Modern Paganism is as much a child of modernity as Agnosticism or Atheism (and in fact, many Pagans may identify as Agnostic or Atheistic). Paganism is a reaction against Deism, and it’s a natural development from Humanism.
- Some Pagans are atheists. They believe that magic is simply misunderstood science.Other pagans are spiritual. They believe the world is supernatural.
- Polytheism to PantheismOne Two (Male/Female) Many
- Hunt/Sexuality/Sun/WorldThreefold Goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone) – note the phases of the moon correlating with the phases of life (waxing/youth, full/adulthood, waning/elderly)Many Wiccans give preeminence to the goddess, though Wicca is technically egalitarian
- Humanist philosophy underlies much of Paganism. Modern Paganism assumes that the individual is sufficient and essential. This undergirds Pagans’ belief in magic and their moral code.
- Magic is manipulating the natural world with one’s will.
- Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Aether (Spirit)
- A version of Hinduism’s Karmic reincarnation.Between lives, Spirits are accessible through mediums, Ouija boards, etc.
- Rule of ThreeWiccan Rede “An it harm none, do as you please.”What matters most is what is right for YOU
- Samhain – October 31 //Fall Festival that commemorates the Dead. The veil between worlds is thinnest, so many rituals involve not only ancestor veneration, but attempts to contact the dead. Replaced by Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve)Yule – Winter Solstice // Sun is furthest from Earth, so we’re welcoming back the Sun. Light/Fire is the most important part of a Yule celebration. Yule is the Norse version; Saturnalia is the Roman version. Common trappings of Yule are Holly, Mistletoe, Wreaths and Yule logs. Replaced by Christmas!Imbolc – February // End of Winter/Spring Anticipation Often involves fertility ritualsOstara – Spring Equinox // Celebration of Spring, fertility rituals, etc.Beltane – May Day (May 1) // Celebration of Fertility/LifeLitha – Summer Solstice // Power of Sun, Crops and Fertility, etc.Lammas – August 1 // Harvest Festival, celebration of first fruits. Comparable to ThanksgivingMabon – Autumn Equinox //
- Places Paganism reacts against Christianity. Some of these are legit differences and some are unfortunately where the Church got too wrapped up in Modernity.God as Male, Leadership as MaleSimilar to Agnostic critique: Institutions tend to resist change and be oppressiveCuts against the grain of individualismIndividual Freedom vs. God’s WayWhat about these other encounters?
- The Church is the Bride of Christ. No such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian…
- Deism vs. Sustainer/active presence (individualism vs. daily communion)
- The Church is the Bride of Christ. No such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian…
- We can say that God is both genders (after all, Genesis 1 makes it clear that it takes both male and female to be the image of God), but it’s more accurate to say that God is beyond gender. Gender is a human thing. It’s an aspect of creatures, not of the creator. That said, we believe that both genders can relate fully with God. We can also understand how overly-masculine pictures of God in the Church have made women feel excluded.
- The Church is the Bride of Christ. No such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian…
- Deism vs. Sustainer/active presence (individualism vs. daily communion)
- The Church is the Bride of Christ. No such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian…
- The Scriptures affirm the reality of Spirits, Mediums and Magic. They also affirm that it’s bad. Christians are called to have no God but God. And to trust no power that does not come from the Holy Spirit.
- The Church is the Bride of Christ. No such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian…
- Ask lots of questions.