Paganism Course

Paganism – Final Essay

By Robert Nelson

               This course takes on a difficult task – the introduction of paganism in general.  This is difficult because it presupposes a general phenomenon which can be called “paganism” and that issue is never addressed in the course and in fact paganism is never really defined.  Instead the author draws on a wide spectrum of religious phenomena from a number of disparate traditions and cultures but never posits an underlying or unifying principle of teachings.  This is not to say the course is not interesting.  There are some interesting lessons on pagan creation ideas including ceremonialism to attain goals, the various forms of deity, and various magical beings such as angels and demons.  There are also overviews of celebrations and runic divination.  A considerable portion of the course is devoted to exploring rituals along with the various tools and principles underlying the performance of magick.  There are two full lessons introducing various laws of magick and methods of making magick.  One of my favorite lessons is that which introduces the Great Rite.

               This is not a rigorously academic course and it may actually be misnamed since it seems to derive more from nineteenth and twentieth century sources (e.g. neo-pagan, Wiccan, and ceremonial magick – especially Aleister Crowley).  It does not explore varieties of paganism either in ancient or modern times but treats it as a whole although this woujld seem unlikely given the incredible variety culturally, mythologically, and theologically that clearly exists between such widespread pagan cultures as those of the ancient Chinese and those of the ancient Mayans or the ancient Iranian paganism and that of Polynesia.  It does not consider for example how the paganism of Marcus Aurelius reads like Christianity.

It does not explore the historical rise of neo-paganism or its various manifestations or the social, cultural, and sometimes political implications of these various forms.  There are no references given and although there are a few references for further study, it would be hard to consider it a scholarly course.  Even in places where there are obvious borrowings form other authors as with the many principles and laws listed or with terms such as the use of “magick” (which most probably know was coined by Aleister Crowley), there is no credit given.  This would be a great course for anyone who has absolutely no familiarity with paganism but not for someone who is looking for a rigorous academic introduction to this particular religious manifestation.

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