Pagan Theology

I struggled with whether to call this "Attitudes & Beliefs," "Thealogy," or "Theology."  I decided on "Theology" because I thought it best communicated what this page was all about to those of us immersed in Christian culture, but I'm not completely comfortable using that term.  This area explores Pagan perspectives on various religious and philosophical themes.  In your research you will find diverse and sometimes conflicting points of view.  There's to be little, if any, doctrine or creed in Paganism.  Some people see that as a problem, while others see it as liberating and an advantage to the movement.  

It is so important that you have some notion of what you belief and why.  It is true that this is a "mystery" religion, and that there are aspects of is that are experiential and beyond words.  That being said, I would still encourage you to wrestle with the challenge of articulating your beliefs.  This exercise will clear confusion, bring confidence, and help you discuss Paganism intelligently with others.  My hope is that you will study and listen to what other Pagans have to say on these topics and then develop your own opinions. 

Joy in Connection with Nature

Vivianne Crowley wrote, "The Pagan ethos focuses on enjoying and celebrating the fact of life itself and the gift of consciousness which is a major miracle of the cosmos" (page 29, Principles).  Scott Cunningham expressed that same tone when he wrote, "Wicca is a joyous religion springing from our kinship with nature. It is a merging with the Goddesses and Gods, the universal energies which created all in existence. It is a personal, positive celebration of life" (preface xvi, Wicca).  

Joyce & River Higginbotham, in Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions, say that the two primary principles in Paganism are (1) Interconnectedness and (2) Blessedness.  The primary principles are that all things are interconnected, interdependent, and integrated in the web of life, and that all things are created with a goodness in their nature -- that all things are blessed (page 2).

If you are interested in reading more about connecting with nature see the Deep Ecology and Ecopsychology sections.

Synergy, Circles, Cycles, & Spirals

In her chapter on Pagan Theologies in Paganism Today, Prudence Jones states that two images have become important in the way Pagans tolerate the various theological opinions within the movement:  synergy and the circle.  Regarding synergy, Jones states, "There is a great faith among Pagans of an underlying unity in the cosmos, whereby distinct and separate individuals find that their separate wills act in common, for the benefit of the whole. ... This outlook is seen not just as a quality of the mature, enlightened individual but as an automatic process within Nature, which can simply be helped on its way by intelligent participation.  Here again Paganism follows Nature rather than imposes structure upon it" (page 44).  

The second image, the circle, is a prominent symbol in Paganism.  Many Pagan groups worship in a circle that defines a circle or sphere of protective energy.  Jones finds that the circle "unites the opposites of activity and passivity and it abolishes the more overt demonstrations of hierarchy.  In this sense it is an active image in the formation of a distinctive Pagan outlook" (page 45).  The older I get the more it seems that life moves through seasons.  Issues I've dealt with seem to recycle themselves and reappear.  Taking a spiral-perspective, rather than a straight-line linear perspective, has prompted me to 'think outside the box' about many things, including many of the topics I lecture on in my college courses.  It has given me a new perspective.

Growth in Light and Dark

Every now and then I run across the accusation that those (or we) New Agers are just playing with fantasies and fairy tales in which everyone is healthy, wealthy, beautiful, and wise.  Even in the Pagan community a term has become popular -- fluffy bunny -- for those who want everything to be only light and love.  

It doesn't take long when observing nature to see that the "natural" events, though they are not evil, can bring pain, sorrow, and loss.  Phyllis Curott has a wonderful way of describing this in her book Witch Crafting.  She writes, "If you are walking in the jungle, and a tiger should decide to eat you, that doesn't make the tiger evil, it makes him a tiger.  And it make you lunch! Unquestionably, that's a tragedy for you and those who love you, but there's no cruelty or evil in the tiger's actions" (page 187). 

Many Pagan teachers and authors take the position that "evil" comes from separation -- from Nature, from each other, and from ourselves.  It has been my experience that many teachers of the Pagan spiritual path will begin by gently leading students to look for, embrace, and come to understand the parts of their psyche that have become separated, often called their "shadow" side.  Timothy Roderick, in his book Dark Moon Mysteries, writes, "Most of us have never considered a journey into our darkness because we actively mute our inner voice each time it calls us to the path, every time we face a painful moment or an instance of emotional darkness."  He continues, "The real work of journeying into the dark involves looking inward and discovering your own voice, your own guidance, and your own power" (page 7).

It seems to me one of the characteristics of a productive or helpful belief system is that it brings comfort and healing in the difficult passages of life.  At one point in my life I may have fallen into a  fluffy bunny perspective, but over the years I have found my Pagan belief system to be both a source of comfort and growth in the difficult times.

Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief

In 1974 the Council of American Witches decided to put together a list of agreed-upon principles.  I have heard many Pagans say that one can tell that this is a "statement by committee" in its language and tone.  I would agree.  I think the document has value, in spite of its dryness, and in spite of the reference to "American Witches."  It gives us a lot to think about.  Which of these statements would you agree with?  Which would you change -- and how?  Which would you eliminate?

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the Phases of the Moon and Seasonal Quarters and Cross-Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment.  We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person.  Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called "supernatural," but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the Universe as manifesting through polarity--as masculine and feminine--and that this Creative Power lives in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine.  We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other.  We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds--sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes, and so on--and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises.  We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magic, and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it--a worldview and philosophy-of-life that we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch--but neither does heredity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations.  Witches seek to control the forces within themselves that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.

9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and to our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with out present, and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of "absolute evil," nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the devil," as defined by the Christian Tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefit can be only derived by denial to another.

13. We acknowledge that we seek within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
    

Pagan and Christian Theology

Because Christianity is still dominant in many areas where Wicca & Witchcraft are growing, there are those who wish to describe Paganism in terms of the ways it is similar to and different from Christianity.  I see both good and not-so-good outcomes from that approach.  It may be good to begin with some Christian principles just because that is the template many people are used to.  At the same time, I believe that to truly understand Wicca one must let go of the Christian template and start over again -- and that is generally true in order to understand any other religion.  If we maintain a Christian-Catholic template, for example, we might ask, "Who is the Pope for the Hindus?" or "Is Buddha the God of the Buddhists?" (BTW, there is no Pope for the Hindus and no, Buddha is not a God.)

There are a couple of good sources you can call upon if you are looking for comparisons between Paganism and Christianity.  One such resource is When Someone You Love is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Co-Workers by Carl McColman.  Another good resource is Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce & River Higginbotham.  This book was recently adopted by the CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) as their primary introductory book.  While this book is not written specifically to compare Pagans and Christians, it is clear the over the years the Higginbothams have learned to anticipate the comparisons and the questions.

A third source I highly recommend is Pagans & Christians, by Gus DiZerega, a Wiccan High Priest with a Ph.D. in Political Science from University of California-Berkeley.  He states that Pagan spirituality can be distinguished by five characteristics: (page 5, Pagans & Christians)

• Pantheism or Panentheism

• Animism

• Polytheism

• The Eternal Present (primary emphasis upon spiritual reality's cyclical and mythical rather than linear and historical character)

• No equivalent of Satan or ultimate evil

DiZerega then continues in the book Pagans & Christians to discuss the theological themes of suffering, evil, authority, role of nature, tolerance, and nonviolence from a Pagan perspective.

Traditional Debates and Dilemmas

One of the best summaries I've seen of Pagan beliefs is that provided by Issac Bonewits in his essay What Neopagans Believe.  If you haven't been to his website you might want to spend a little time there -- it is well worth the visit.

As you study (see Research Tools) try to determine what a Pagan point of view might be toward these age-old philosophical and theological issues.  In my own studies I have found some of these issues hard to address.  I felt that it was important to highlight these issues, however, I must say that these categories are taken from other traditions (especially Judeo-Christian works) and I wonder how well they translate into Pagan philosophies. 

• Relationship of Human Beings to Nature & the Natural World

• Aspects of the Divine

• Good vs. Evil

• Freewill vs. Predestination

• Science & Religion

• Morality & Ethics

• Life After Death & Reincarnation

• Attitudes Towards Sexuality

• Attitudes Towards Political Issues

Regarding these traditional theological issues, Vivianne Crowley wrote, "Practitioners of Earth Traditions do not, in the main, feel the need to create intellectual definitions of their religious understanding. ... We recognize that all such intellectual exercises are ultimately futile. Rational explanations, and the dogmatic theological creeds to which they give rise, were a stage in humanity's evolution, but they are ultimately illusionary. All religious dogma is an attempt to codify what is beyond the word-based conscious mind. We can only understand it by entering into unity with it" (page 192, A Woman's Guide to the Earth Traditions).