Tag Archives: scholarship

A History of the Gods of Irish Myth

Forthcoming from Princeton University Press, Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth (2016), by Mark Williams.

Think of the “Finding a God” and “Finding a Goddess” chapters of Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon — but book-length, dealing with Irish material, and the product of numerous quests through textual tunnels wherein dwell the ferocious beasts.

All of the Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans out there will probably rush not to buy it. Someone should — he is a fine writer.

From the scraps of his research that I have seen, readers (me included) should prepare to end up in places quite different than they expected.

Quick, Download this Paper Now

Israeli scholar of Paganism has published a paper on “Connecting British Wicca with Radical Feminism and Goddess Spirituality during the 1970s and 1980s: The Case Study of Monica Sjöö” in the Journal of Contemporary Religion.

It is currently available as a free download. Here is the abstract:

This article attempts to chart some of the ways in which ideas of radical feminism, Goddess Spirituality, and feminist Witchcraft—which originated in the United States during the late 1960s and the 1970s before taking root in Britain—were introduced to British Wiccans during the latter half of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Several UK-based radical feminists who combined their newfound political awareness with Goddess Spirituality acted as important conduits for the transference of these ideas. This will be shown through the use of a case study of the artist and Goddess Feminist Monica Sjöö (1938–2005).

As they say, this offer may expire, so act now.

How Do You Feel about Faeries?

Prof. Magliocco

Prof. Magliocco

NOTE: The survey is now closed. Prof. Magliocco received more than 500 responses quickly, and they exceeded the number that the university’s Institutional Review Board “allowed.”
From Sabina Maglicco at California State University, Northridge, comes this request for help with a survey:

My latest project involves research into the lore of fairies, fae, sidhe, and similar beings from a variety of cultural traditions in contemporary Paganisms.  I’ve posted a survey at the link below; please feel free to take it and share with other like-minded individuals. Respondents must be 18 years of age or older, and identify as practitioners of one of the modern Pagan religions.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Fairies_in_Contemp_Paganisms

I can endorse the quality of her work—she is also the author of Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America as well as an article, “Who Was Aradia: The History and Development of a Legend” and numerous reviews in The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies.

New Journal: Body and Religion

image001Equinox Publishing, publisher of The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, will launch a new journal, Body and Religion, in 2016.

Co-Editors: Shawn Arthur, Wake Forest University, and Nikki Bado, Iowa State University

Book Review Editor: Kevin Schilbrack, Appalachian State University

Digital Media Content Manager: Eric Waite, Iowa State University

Body and Religion is an internationally peer reviewed, interdisciplinary journal devoted to all issues of body and religion. We welcome English-language submissions from scholars who use diverse methodologies and approaches, ranging from traditional to innovative, to explore issues of “body” as a fundamental analytical category in the study of religion. We seek to publish the widest possible diversity of critical inquiry into the relationships between all manner of bodies; concepts of “body,” and both traditional and alternative religious traditions, popular culture, literature, the arts, psychology, philosophy, the natural sciences, national and social movements, gender and sexuality, modification and transformation, underground/alternative culture, time periods, and regions.

The journal provides a forum for the study of all manner of ancient and contemporary practices, concerns, ideals, and connections or disconnections between body and religion. Essays and analyses are capable of being delivered on a multi-media platform, assisting in examining performances, rituals, and other topics that are not easily captured in print. However, alternate and innovative presentations must include a significant written portion for print, while corresponding extra color art, video, and other media will be included on the journal website and in other electronic forms.

Body and Religion considers submissions from both established scholars and research students. All articles are refereed. There are two issues per year commencing in 2016.

ISSN 2057-5823 (Print)
ISSN 2057-5831 (Online)

CFP: Conference on Current Pagan Studies

conference-logo-transparent-background1-300x30012th Conference on Current Pagan Studies

Call For Papers: Social Justice

The overall theme for the 2016 Conference is Social Justice

We face issues of social justice everywhere we look, from something as overwhelming as #blacklivesmatter to the seeming trivial Wiccanate privilege.  Like the innumerable heads of the Lernaean Hydra, it seems that every time we manage to quell an issue involving racism, sexism, or privilege, two more such issues appear.  Add to this the poisonous breath of the hate rhetoric that surrounds these issues, and virulent ichor of the rigid beliefs from which such transgressions emerge, the task of those on the side of social justice does appears quite Herculean.

How do we as Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, Witches, Heathens and the many other paths that have arisen incorporate these concerns into our research, our outlook, our activism, etc.? We are using this idea in its broadest terms. We are hoping to encompass issues concerning racism, feminism, womanism, eco-justice, food security, gender justice, classism, neo-colonialism, etc. seen through the eyes of our scholars/activists.

We are looking for papers from all disciplines. A community needs artists, teachers, scientists, healers, historians, philosophers, educators, thinkers, activists, etc.

As usual, we are using Pagan in its most inclusive form, covering pagans, wiccans, witches and the numerous hybrids that have sprung up as well as any indigenous groups that feel akin to or want to be in conversation with Pagans.

Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and are due by September 20, 2015. Go to our website www.paganconference.com for advice on presenting papers. Please email abstracts to pagan_conference@yahoo.com .

Conference website here.

Pagan Academic Online Conference Tomorrow (25 May)

Just a reminder:

The 3rd Online International Conference of Pagan Academic European Associates Network occurs tomorrow, the 25th, from 1800–2100 hours Central European Time.

The theme will be “The Future of Contemporary Paganism: Challenges and Developments.”

The conference is in cooperation with Pagan Federation International

This conference focuses on the different aspects of the future and development of contemporary Pagan culture and Witchcraft practices.

Visit the conference’s Facebook page or download this PDF.

Call for Papers: The Occult Imagination in Britain

Christine Ferguson and Andrew Radford, both of the University of Glasgow, seek contributors for an edited collection, The Occult Imagination in Britain, 1875-1947.

We seek proposals for an essay collection entitled The Occult Imagination in Britain, 1875-1947, to be proposed to Ashgate’s new Among the Victorians and the Modernists series. Focusing on the development, popular diffusion, and international networks of British occulture between 1875-1947, the interdisciplinary volume will capitalize on the recent surge of scholarly interest in the late Victorian occult revival by tracing the development of its central and residual manifestations through the fin de siècle and two world wars. We aim to challenge the polarization of Victorian and modernist occult art and practice into discrete expressions of either a nostalgic reaction to the crisis of faith or a radical desire for the new. The collection will also map the affinities between popular and elite varieties of occultism in this period, recognizing the degree to which esoteric activities and texts relied on and borrowed from the exoteric sphere.

Further details at this link.

Contemporary Pagan Studies at the AAR, 2015

All of the evaluating and negotiating is completed, and the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion will be presenting the following sessions at the annual meeting, held November 21–24, 2015, in Atlanta:

1 Joint session with the Indigenous Religious Traditions Group: “The Problem of ‘Religion’ in the Study of Indigenous and Polytheistic Traditions.”

2. “Valuing Paganism in Public and Open Spaces.”

3.  “Tradition and Resistance in Paganism.”

I will post more about the contents of each session when the program book is ready.

New Pomegranate Published

Pomegranate web header

Issue 16:2 of The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies has now been published online, with print copies coming soon.

The publisher does charge for articles (but try to see if your library can get them), although book reviews are free downloads.

Contents

“Deepening Conversations between Ritual Studies and Pagan Studies”
Michelle Mueller

“Becoming a Virtual Pagan: ‘Conversion’ or Identity Construction?”
James R. Lewis

“Prevalence and Importance of Contemporary Pagan Practices”
Gwendolyn Reece

“The Search for ‘Meaning’: Occult Redefinitions and the Internet:
Morandir Armson

“Healing Community: Pagan Cultural Models and Experiences in Seeking Well-Being:
Kimberly D. Kirner

Book reviews by Melissa Harrington, Jason Mankey, Daniel Foor, Christopher Chase, Ronald Hutton, and Sarah Veale.

2015 Pagan Studies Call for Papers Now Online

The Contemporary Pagan Studies Group’s call for papers for the November 2015 annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion can now be viewed online.

General instructions for submitting are here. And the deadline is Monday, March 2.