Wicca and the Christian Heritage

Wicca and the Christian Heritage PDF Author: Joanne Pearson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134524277
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
What is Wicca? Is it witchcraft, Paganism, occultism, esotericism, magic, spirituality, mysticism, nature religion, secrecy, gnosis, the exotic or 'other'? Wicca has been defined by and explored within all these contexts over the past thirty years by anthropologists, sociologists and historians, but there has been a tendency to sublimate and negate the role of Christianity in Wicca's historical and contemporary contexts. Joanne Pearson 'prowls the borderlands of Christianity' to uncover the untold history of Wicca. Exploring the problematic nature of the Wiccan claim of marginality, it contains a groundbreaking analysis of themes in Christian traditions that are inherent in the development of contemporary Wicca. These focus on the accusations which have been levelled against Catholisicm, heterodoxy and witchcraft throughout history: ritual, deviant sexuality and magic.

Wicca and the Christian Heritage

Wicca and the Christian Heritage PDF Author: Joanne Pearson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134524277
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 190

Get Book

Book Description
What is Wicca? Is it witchcraft, Paganism, occultism, esotericism, magic, spirituality, mysticism, nature religion, secrecy, gnosis, the exotic or 'other'? Wicca has been defined by and explored within all these contexts over the past thirty years by anthropologists, sociologists and historians, but there has been a tendency to sublimate and negate the role of Christianity in Wicca's historical and contemporary contexts. Joanne Pearson 'prowls the borderlands of Christianity' to uncover the untold history of Wicca. Exploring the problematic nature of the Wiccan claim of marginality, it contains a groundbreaking analysis of themes in Christian traditions that are inherent in the development of contemporary Wicca. These focus on the accusations which have been levelled against Catholisicm, heterodoxy and witchcraft throughout history: ritual, deviant sexuality and magic.

Witchcraft

Witchcraft PDF Author: Hans Sebald
Publisher: Elsevier Publishing Company
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description


Christian Wicca

Christian Wicca PDF Author: Nancy Chandler Pittman
Publisher: Nancy Chandler
ISBN: 1410753476
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
Christian Wicca: Oxymoron or the Best of Both World? Finally, a how-to guide for practicing Wicca, celebrating the return of the original Christian Trinity: the Father, the Mother, and the Holy Son Jesus. This book is written expressly for Wiccans who wish to walk the spiritual path of earth-based religions, but do not wish to surrender their Judeo-Christian background. Nancy now offers a simple solution to the rapidly emerging ChristoPagan community. Wicca, the Old Religion, or the religion of the wise, is the fastest growing form of spirituality in the United States. Many modern and eclectic Christians have no problem recognizing Jesus as Lord, but instead have a problem accepting the dogma of the organized church. Seekers are also feeling the absense of the Female aspect of the Divine and wish to re-establish the Goddess in their spirituality. In the wake of the discoveries of the Nag Hammadi Library, for the first time since 100-300 A.C.E. - the yin of the Christian faith is seeking to restore it's yang! Despite the overwhelming evidence that there is a Divine Mother --- no one has applied this information to Wicca and the Holy Days of the Wheel of the Year. "Christian Wicca: the Trinitarian Tradition" does this very task, outlining the Sabbats, the Esbats to include the Holy Trinity . . . also introducing observances expressly for Jesus, called Kyriats! Blessed Be!!

Pagan Theology

Pagan Theology PDF Author: Michael York
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 0814797083
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
In Pagan Theology, Michael York provides an introduction to, and expansion of, the concept of Paganism and provides an overview of its theological perspective and practice. He demonstrates it to be a viable and distinguishable spiritual perspective found today in such forms as Chinese folk religion, Shinto, tribal religions, and neo-Paganism in the West. While adherents of many of these traditions do not use the word "pagan" to describe their beliefs or practices, York contends that there is an identifiable position possessing characteristics and understandings in common for which the label "pagan" is appropriate. He outlines these characteristics and also explores paganism as a general form of religious behavior which may be found in other religions which are not themselves pagan. In the course of examining such behavior, York provides descriptions of religions in action, including Buddhism and Hinduism.

The Dark Wind

The Dark Wind PDF Author: Gary R. Varner
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1430318139
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
The Dark Wind provides a survey of witches around the world, their prehistoric origin and how society has viewed them throughout history. Folklorist Gary R. Varner explores the use of magic, spells and curses among indigenous groups as well as state approved religions such as those observed in ancient Rome and Greece, and how even contemporary Christianity uses many of the same "magic" combinations. Also examined is the current "witch craze" in several countries where thousands are being killed as witches, the underlying reasons for this tragedy and the history of anti-witchcraft laws. The Dark Wind is a book for everyone interested in anthropology, archaeology, ancient history, religion and the occult. Illustrated with contemporary woodcuts and drawings. The author is a member of the American Folklore Society and the Foundation for Mythological Studies.

The Path of a Christian Witch

The Path of a Christian Witch PDF Author: Adelina St. Clair
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN: 0738726419
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
A unique mix of memoir and how-to that includes practical daily Pagan rituals, this inspiring book shows how one woman blended Christian traditions with the magic and beauty of a Wiccan practice. Raised in the Catholic faith, yet strongly drawn to Paganism, Adelina St. Clair spent many years questioning and soul-searching before she found a way to blend aspects of Wicca and Christianity into a vibrant and loving belief system. Filled with personal anecdotes, this book tells the story of St. Clair's journey of self-discovery and revelation, from her initial fear and guilt to her ultimate sense of peace and joy. With warmth and heartfelt reverence, St. Clair discusses vital aspects of Witchcraft and Christianity, as well as the commonalities between the two. Monotheism vs. polytheism Magical practice The teachings of Christ Goddess worship The femininity of God The Wheel of the Year Praying the rosary Sacred space

The God of the Witches

The God of the Witches PDF Author: Margaret Alice Murray
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780195012705
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
This celebrated study of witchcraft in Europe traces the worship of the pre-Christian and prehistoric Horned God from paleolithic times to the medieval period. Murray, the first to turn a scholarly eye on the mysteries of witchcraft, enables us to see its existence in the Middle Ages not as an isolated and terrifying phenomenon, but as the survival of a religion nearly as old as humankind itself, whose devotees held passionately to a view of life threatened by an alien creed. The findings she sets forth, once thought of as provocative and implausible, are now regarded as irrefutable by folklorists and scholars in related fields. Exploring the rites and ceremonies associated with witchcraft, Murray establishes the concept of the "dying god"--the priest-king who was ritually killed to ensure the country and its people a continuity of fertility and strength. In this light, she considers such figures as Thomas a Becket, Joan of Arc, and Gilles de Rais as spiritual leaders whose deaths were ritually imposed. Truly a classic work of anthropology, and written in a clear, accessible style that anyone can enjoy, The God of the Witches forces us to reevaluate our thoughts about an ancient and vital religion.

Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction

Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Malcolm Gaskill
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019923695X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
Examines the history and origins of witchcraft, from pre-history to the present day, considering why it still features so heavily in our culture

Wicca

Wicca PDF Author: Ethan Doyle White
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 1782842551
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
The past century has born witness to a growing interest in the belief systems of ancient Europe, with an array of contemporary Pagan groups claiming to revive these old ways for the needs of the modern world. By far the largest and best known of these Paganisms has been Wicca, a new religious movement that can now count hundreds of thousands of adherents worldwide. Emerging from the occult milieu of mid twentieth-century Britain, Wicca was first presented as the survival of an ancient pre-Christian Witch-Cult, whose participants assembled in covens to venerate their Horned God and Mother Goddess, to celebrate seasonal festivities, and to cast spells by the light of the full moon. Spreading to North America, where it diversified under the impact of environmentalism, feminism, and the 1960s counter-culture, Wicca came to be presented as a Goddess-centred nature religion, in which form it was popularised by a number of best-selling authors and fictional television shows. Today, Wicca is a maturing religious movement replete with its own distinct world-view, unique culture, and internal divisions. This book represents the first published academic introduction to be exclusively devoted to this fascinating faith, exploring how this Witches' Craft developed, what its participants believe and practice, and what the Wiccan community actually looks like. In doing so it sweeps away widely-held misconceptions and offers a comprehensive overview of this religion in all of its varied forms. Drawing upon the work of historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and scholars of religious studies, as well as the writings of Wiccans themselves, it provides an original synthesis that will be invaluable for anyone seeking to learn about the blossoming religion of modern Pagan Witchcraft.

The Lancashire witches

The Lancashire witches PDF Author: Robert Poole
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 1847795498
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
This book is the first major study of England's biggest and best-known witch trial which took place in 1612, when ten witches were arraigned and hung in the village of Pendle in Lancashire. The book has equal appeal across the disciplines of both History and English Literature/Renaissance Studies, with essays by the leading experts in both fields. Includes helpful summaries to explain the key points of each essay. Brings the subject up-to-date with a study of modern Wicca and paganism, including present-day Lancashire witches. Quite simply, this is the most comprehensive study of any English witch trial.