What is neo-paganism ?

Boston

Ok, this seems a good thread to post this. What is neo-paganism? It's mentioned above and I've heard it used, but what exactly is it, why would anybody use the term, and what distinctions does it make? Cynically I tend to dismiss allot of the words like neo-(anything) out of hand as buzz words. From reading this thread there allready seems to be terms to distinguish between old and newer versions of this religion. So it's the term just something added by pop culture?

Nevyn

Well neo mean new.

Neo paganism would be new paganism or reconstructed paganism or modren paganism.

A lot of paganism and pagan ways were either lost or made illegal or co opted by christainity.

So you get with in neo paganism the reconstruction of what is seen as the old ways from old manuscripts and the recaliming the taking back of things that were co opted and changed to have a christian meaning.

There are pagan paths that never lost thier way, hinduism and heathenism have kept thier ways, texts and words they are not neo paganism nor are the
family traditions or the fold traditions that were never lost.

The term was not created by pop culture but used to differencate the differences between beliefs that were pass down and not lost and those that were and were reconstructed or recalimed.

Boston

So would someone actually call themselves a neo pagan. I found the term odd as I've at least read bit's and pieces about paganism but never come accross someone calling themselves neo pagan.

gymrabbit

nickswap

Boston

You really need not to stalk me.

Nevyn

gymrabbit your post is not on topic or relavent to this thread.
If you dont' have anything to contribute don't bother posting.

See pagans worship pagan gods, but some of thier practices may be neo pagan ones or neo pagan traditions but that does not make thier connection to the earth or to thier pagan Gods neo

Boston

Thats the way I'd look at it.

Talliesin

LiouVille wrote:

So would someone actually call themselves a neo pagan. I found the term odd as I've at least read bit's and pieces about paganism but never come accross someone calling themselves neo pagan.

It depends on the context. If the context either doesn't call for distinguishing Neo-Paganism from Paleo-Paganism or else makes it implicit that the person is talking about Neo-Paganism then generally the "Neo-" wouldn't be used.

Isaac Bonewits makes three distinctions, including Meso-Pagan at http://www.neopagan.net/PaganDefs.html though I think he both overstates the importance of attitudes to sexuality in this regard due to his own political interests (there's no more need for them to be in a definition than any other factor) and worse is IMO erroneous - I don't agree that Neo-Pagan views can never be sexist or homophobic, that would be nice and all but a large number of Neo-Pagans not being sexist or homophobic and a larger number claiming they aren't doesn't make such an absolute statement about a wide religious grouping valid.

joseph dawton

I would suggest that the bulk of pagans are in fact neo-pagan ie. first generation converts rather than born into it. Myself, I was born to atheists but became a Catholic when my Dad returned to it himself when I was 12! I soon changed my mind though and after exploring eastern mysticism and Wicca became a pagan in the early 90s, later becoming involved in Druidry.

To my way of thinking all Druids are neo-pagans, the entire movement is a revival (from 1700s onwards). As for witches there are very few hereditary witches, some may even be baptised for the sake of 'fitting in' and may be less overt than Wiccans (who are all neo-pagans).

A lot of people get all up in arms about history and authenticity, lineage and how long they've been a pagan etc. Basically since the 50's when Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols 'came out' the whole area has mushroomed but it is still only 3 generations old at best. Paganism is in it's infancy as a modern religion, the wisdom of the past is still accessible but there is no unadulterated direct link with the paganism of old.

Boston

So you define neo-pagan as being a convert to paganism rather than someone who follows a new type of paganism? Or both.

joseph dawton

I'd say both really.

Talliesin

LiouVille wrote:

So you define neo-pagan as being a convert to paganism rather than someone who follows a new type of paganism? Or both.

Nothing to do with whether you converted to Paganism or were raised Pagan. It differentiates between beliefs of Pagans in modern society which differ from those of a thousand years ago or in "primitive" cultures. This of course is also true of Atheists, Christians, and other faiths (e.g. the basic understanding of cosmology an Atheist or Christian would have had a thousand years ago differs from what they would now) but in those cases we can more easily trace the way the views changed through that period of history than we can with Pagans, hence there appears to be a sharper divide between Palaeo-Pagans, Meso-Pagans and Neo-Pagans, particularly at the point between Palaeo-Pagans and Meso-Pagans (the changes in beliefs between Meso-Pagans and Neo-Pagans are much more easily traced, though still less well documented than in comparable cases).