Theoretical, Terminological, and Taxonomic Trouble in the Academic Study of Contemporary Paganism: A Case for Reform

Talking with the Land: Walking Magic, Storytelling, and the Imagination around the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

“…Magical-religious witchcraft is one of several practices gathered under the umbrella of modern nature-based polytheistic Pagan religions that have flourished since the mid twentieth-century. While there are different witchcraft traditions, most are shaped by theological and ritual practices rooted in Gerald Gardner's mid-twentieth century Wicca, an initiatory witchcraft inspired by ideas of ancient pagan religion (Doyle White 2016). Modern witchcraft has often been fashioned as a practice with unbroken links to the deep past, although these historical origins have been subjected to careful scrutiny in recent years (Cornish 2009(Cornish , 2013.…”

The old gods as a live possibility: on the rational feasibility of non-doxastic paganism

“…3.The field of pagan studies is sometimes viewed with suspicion since many of the academics involved are pagans themselves (White (2016)). Since philosophers usually treat ideas in the form they are presented by their proponents, this need not be a problem on the current approach.…”

“…Some, like Michael York (2003), view paganism as a wide-ranging phenomenon, including most historical and present-day religions outside the Abrahamitic and Dharmic traditions. On the other side of the spectrum, Ethan Doyle White suggests a narrow definition according to which only pre-Christian European religion and its modern revival counts as proper paganism (White (2016)). The pagan revivalism I am interested in clearly connects with White's narrow definition, and I leave it to the reader to work out the implications of what I say for any other forms of paganism there might be.…”

Pagans on campus: A cursory exploration

“…The popular conception of a witch—complete with a ragged broom, bubbling cauldron, pointed hat, and harsh cackle—is a concoction brewed largely from years of stigmatization and misunderstandings. Those individuals who actually practice or identify with witchcraft, Wicca, or the other permutations of modern Paganism—an umbrella term used for followers of Earth‐based, “nontraditional” spiritualties and beliefs—are historically and contemporaneously marginalized and have only recently become the subject of academic study in the general population (Moe et al., 2013; White, 2016; Yardley, 2008). Still, little work has been done to understand the identity development of Pagans, the psychology of the group, how they perceive, or how they are perceived.…”

“…Still, little work has been done to understand the identity development of Pagans, the psychology of the group, how they perceive, or how they are perceived. Demographically, Pagan numbers are often obfuscated due to exclusive survey designs and the ambiguous nature of diverse Pagan self‐identification, which has made quantitative studies of this population difficult (Jones, 2012; White, 2016). Thanks to popular misconceptions and years of stigmatization, their practices have been frequently pushed to the margins of society, with most Pagans resisting organization in favor of exclusively solitary practice—which has made sampling for qualitative study difficult as well (Jensen & Thompson, 2008; Merriam et al., 2003; “Samhain: A Wiccan Student Shares Her Story”, 2016).…”