Nature religion today : paganism in the modern world / edited by Joanne Pearson, Richard H. Roberts and Geoffrey Samuel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Overend, Joanne, Author.

Contributor:

Pearson, Joanne, 1969- editor.

Roberts, Richard H., 1946- editor.

Samuel, Geoffrey, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Paganism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (222 pages)

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 2012.

Summary:

While traditional religions are in decline, Paganism is an area of unprecedented growth. This book offers an informed, state of the art insight into this fascinating area of cultural change. Drawing on accounts from practitioners and academics, it shows nature religion evolving from a blend of environmental activism, feminism, critiques of capitalism and innovative forms of spirituality, such as dedication to the Goddess. This is a cutting-edge study which raises important questions about the recovery of tradition in late modernity, as well as nature religion's relationship with the global but fragmented religious resurgence known as the New Age.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Contributors

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part One. A Chthonic Imperative? Religion and Nature in the Modem World

1 Globalisation and the Religion of Nature

2 Reflections on New Age and the Secularisation of Nature

3 Between Apocalypse and Self-realisation: ‘Nature* as an Index of New Age Religiosity

4 Assumed Affinities: Wicca and the New Age

5 The Chthonic Imperative: Gender, Religion and the Battle for the Earth

Part Two. The Pagan Alternative: the Goddess and Nature

6 The European Native Tradition

7 The Discovery of the Modern Goddess

8 The Nature of the Goddess: Sexual Identities and Power in Contemporary Witchcraft

9 Goddesses and Gopis: In Search of New Models of Female Sexuality

10 Paganism and Tibetan Buddhism: Contemporary Western Religions and the Question of Nature

Part Three. Nature Religion in Practice

11 Feminist Witchcraft and Holy Hermeneutics

12 A Priest of the Goddess

13 Wicca as Nature Religion

14 The Gal-Gael Peoples of Scotland: on Tradition Re-bearing, Recovery of Place and Making Identity Anew

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781474471503

1474471501