The Wild Hunt » American Academy of Religion

AAR Conference Chicago: Day 2

Jason — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:56:00 +0000

My second and last day attending this three-day conference was considerably more hectic than the first. Lots of run-walking through hallways and catching the shuttle service between the two conference hotels. After a bit more time spent with the book publishers in the exhibition hall, and a quick coffee break with M. Macha Nightmare, I raced to the New Religious Movements Group to hear a presentation by three key figures in NRM scholarship. The group was presided over by Douglas Cowan, and featured presentations by Eileen Barker, founder of INFORM, Massimo Introvigne, founder of CESNUR, and J. Gordon Melton, founder of ISAR.

Eileen Barker and J. Gordon Melton.

It was clear that these figures, and their respective organizations, have had a large hand in steering religious scholarship away from the “anti-cult” and “countercult” mindset so prevalent a generation ago, and towards a more open-minded and fair appraisal of new religions. This hasn’t come without some criticism, and all have been accused of being apologists for various movements (most notably Melton, who has received a lot of criticism for defending Aum Shinrikyo during the investigation into the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway). Despite these setbacks, and resistance from those with an investment in counter-cult thinking, it is safe to say that minority religions today, including modern Pagan faiths, owe a debt to figures like Barker, Melton and Introvigne. It was indeed an honor to hear them give brief retrospectives of their work on NRMs.

With no time to waste, I rushed to the next session of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group, in order to hear some of modern Paganism’s best living thinkers expound on “Polytheism in Theory”. Presided over by Nikki Bado-Fralick (who happens to be the president of Cherry Hill Seminary) the group featured presentations by Graham Harvey, author of “Listening People, Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism”, Constance Wise, author of “Hidden Circles in the Web: Feminist Wicca, Occult Knowledge, and Process Thought”, and Michael York, author of “Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion”.

Michael York speaking to a packed room.

To summarize their points would most likely do them all an injustice, so let me apologize in advance. Harvey discussed how Pagan religions are going through a process of “indigenization”, morphing from their esoteric origins into something far more animistic in practice. Wise endorsed process theology as a way to think about polytheism without creating an unnecessary mono/poly binary, or negating the beliefs of others. Finally, Michael York discussed polytheism, the anti-Decalogue stance of Pagan religions, human sacrifice in ancient pagan cultures, and how it is no longer necessary for modern Pagan cultures (though he did wonder, in our age of war and capital punishment if we have really moved away from ritual murder).

Sadly, after York finished, I had to dash to catch my train home. I also regret that some personal matters prevent me from attending presentations and talks on the third and final day of the conference, but even the small number of group sessions I attended left me with much to digest. It is impossible for one reporter to accurately summarize the vast amount of knowledge on display here, but I can say that the cutting edge of modern Pagan thought (and religious thought in general) can be glimpsed for those willing to brave the crowds. My only regret is that there weren’t two or three of me so I could have seen and heard more. Maybe next time.

For more AAR coverage, check out Michael Paulson’s article on a Harry Potter-themed session. Meanwhile youth minister Adam Walker discusses pluralism, and First Things gives a snarky acknowledgment of Wendy Doniger winning the 2008 Martin Marty Award for contributions to the public understanding of religion.

AAR Conference Chicago: Day 1

Jason — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:00:00 +0000

There is something a bit overwhelming about wandering amid 5000 (give or take) scholars and students of religion. Buddhist monks, Catholic nuns, indigenous practitioners, scores of Christians, and, of course, Pagans. Aside from wandering the impressive exhibit hall (featuring what seems like hundreds of publishers), where I managed to pick up Douglas Cowan’s new book “Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen”, I decided to play it safe and stick to meetings of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group.

Jason Winslade adds a little ritual to the proceedings.

The first panel concentrated on the theme of “Talking with the Dead”, and featured a really fascinating exploration of Dia de los Muertos celebrations by Anne R. Key (who teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies), while Jason Winslade of DePaul University lit candles, ignited flash-paper, and donned various forms of headgear in order to illustrate his examination of ritual actions and drama (there was also a very nice presentation by fellow blogger Chas Clifton, and esteemed Pagan academic Wendy Griffin).

The “Polytheism in Practice” session participants.

After a restorative lunch, I then headed to the “Polytheism in Practice” session where three academics explored how various forms of polytheism are thriving in places like China, the Ukraine, and Italy. We were then treated to a thought-provoking response to these papers by David L. Miller, author of the highly influential “The New Polytheism: Rebirth of the Gods & Goddesses”. Miller challenged whether “polytheism” was an accurate term for this broad and diverse religious movement, wondered if it was an unnecessarily political binary with monotheism, and advocated for the term Kathenotheism as a more accurate marker. This lead to a spirited discussion from the audience, including challenges to his assertions on “serial worship” (and the unlikely occurrence of “true” polytheism) by Douglas Ezzy and Judy Harrow (among others).

So far this has been a remarkably thought-provoking and enriching experience. Sadly, feeling very tired and foot-sore by this point, I had to duck out and take the train back home for a much-needed constitutional. But I plan on being well rested for tomorrow’s sessions, and will, of course, share my impressions with you. For those of my readers missing my regular news round-ups, I plan on doing a massive “Halloween hangover” entry on Tuesday, so stay tuned!

Going to the AAR

Jason — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Today and tomorrow I’ll be attending forums, sessions, and lectures at the American Academy of Religion’s 2008 Annual Meeting (in Chicago). The AAR is the world’s largest association of academics who research or teach topics related to religion, and their annual meeting has become a vital place to hear about the latest scholarship in the field of Pagan Studies (and just about every other religious and philosophical tradition as well). This year will feature an abundance of Pagan-friendly events, including the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group’s stellar-looking line-up of presentations.

“In places as diverse as Italy, China, the Ukraine, and the United States, we see groups of people turning away from established religious traditions to polytheism in a search for spiritual meaning. This defies the current linear model of religious progress and may signal a paradigm shift. This session explores polytheism in practice and focuses on places and communities where this development may not have been expected.”

A partial list of presenters shows a veritable who’s who of academic Pagan authors, including Chas Clifton, Wendy Griffin, Michael York, Nikki Bado-Fralick, and Graham Harvey (among others).

I’ll be attending as many Pagan-oriented presentations as I can, and will report back with some initial thoughts and (hopefully) photos. My only regret is that there is only one of me. It is downright cruel to make me choose between a series of themed presentations on Samhain/Halloween and one on art and esotericism that includes a paper on Dr. Strange!

“‘The Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth’ surveys representations of occult themes in American comic books from early horror comics to 21st century post-superhero stories, with a particular focus on the Doctor Strange character as developed during the 1960s and 70s ‘occult explosion.’ Notable aspects of the Doctor Strange protagonist and storyline include appeals to eclectically secularized supernatural entities, an understanding of dreams as a medium for communication with spirits, and esoteric Orientalism of the type associated with the Theosophical Society. These comics constitute an especially detailed documentation of a type of visual imagination actively developed to address notions of occult magic that are consistent with the forms that Robert Ellwood has theorized as ‘excursus religion.’ This study also proposes that the comics medium itself has also become more of an excursus literature, as its attention to occult topics has been sustained over the last four decades.”

Maybe I can run back and forth? Do people do that there? I guess I’ll have to find out. In addition to all that, I’ll get to meet some colleagues, online acquiescences, and fellow Pagan bloggers for the first time in the flesh (so to speak). So it should be a stimulating couple of days (and that’s not even counting the exhibit hall full of publishers). Stay tuned for my first official AAR update tomorrow.

A Few Quick Notes

Jason — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:42:00 +0000

A slow news day in the Pagan world, but there were a few interesting tidbits I would like to share with you. First off, UU-Blogger Philocrites says everything I could possibly want to say concerning Mitt Romney’s “Faith in America” speech.

“By trying to define “faith” as conservative traditionalism and “pluralism” as a name for monotheistic traditionalism, Romney misrepresented the true diversity of American religion, explicitly dismissed Americans who don’t identify with a religious tradition, and painted the traditions he did mention in a way that celebrates their most traditionalist wings and ignores almost all of their visions for the commonweal. What a disappointment.”

Also of interest is Slacktivist’s analysis of the speech, in which he questions the logic of throwing (non-Mormon) religious outsiders under the bus in order to curry favor with the Christian Right.

“The speech includes some decent stretches, but it was not, primarily, a courageous plea for religious tolerance and mutual respect. It was, instead, primarily an obsequious bit of sucking up by an outsider hoping to curry favor with the in crowd by parroting their condemnation of other outsiders … Romney’s gambit here comes straight from the school yard. As a Mormon, he is an outsider, getting picked on by the bullies of the religious right. Instead of standing up to the bullies, he sucks up to them, trying to prove his loyalty and win their approval by acting like them and picking on the other outcasts and outsiders. ‘You guys want to pretend that ’secular’ and ‘profane’ are synonyms? I can do that. Look, I’ll even beat up this atheist kid for you. See? I’m just like you guys!’”

Turning from politics to holiday celebrations (a topic that is only slightly less contentious), the expected “winter festivals other than Christmas” stories are starting to pop up. The American Chronicle runs a commentary piece by Saqqara Aleister concerning pre-Christian winter holidays and how they have influenced our present-day festivities.

“So as the Winter Solstice once again is upon planet Earth, look to where your celebration may have come from. Look to others in this time of “Christmas” and see, we are all celebrating the same season. Everyone may not celebrate in the same way but we are all celebrating birth, death and rebirth in our own unique way. A way that our ancient forefathers saw coming thousands of years ago as they huddled in caves watching over their food stores waiting for the snow to melt and the warmth of spring to return. May your observance be merry and happy.”

Meanwhile, The Daily Titan (a college paper for the California State University in Fullerton) interviews a Wiccan about Yule celebrations.

“Tracing its roots back to Scandinavian aboriginals, Yule celebrates the winter solstice. “[It] centers around December 20 to the 23 in the northern hemisphere,” said Paul Levesque, comparative religion professor. This year, it will take place on Dec. 20 and pagans will celebrate the return of the warm sun ahead of the long winter days. “[It's about] showing the unity of creation, light in the darkness,” Levesque said. Yule also reinforces the notion of rebirth during the wintertime and it commemorates the New Year in western and northern traditions of Wicca.”

No doubt an expose on the mysterious “Western” and “Northern” traditions of Wicca will be forthcoming. In addition to these stories, you can find plenty of “pagan roots of Christmas” articles written with different degrees of talent by a variety of columnists hard-up for fresh ideas. They should all take a cue from Tony Sachs at the Huffington Post, who writes an amusing story of how his grade-school tried to solve the religious diversity problem by settling on a common denominator: paganism.

“I can sort of understand, however, why none of us thought twice about what was called “Candlelighting Day” but was really “Freaky Quasi-Druidic Festival.” We were just kids, for cryin’ out loud. Give us a half day of school with an assembly instead of classes and we’d do anything. Celebrate the holidays with a mass wedding presided over by Sun Myung Moon? No problem, as long as it gets me out of algebra. Bite the heads off some Christmas doves with Ozzy Osbourne? Like, sure, whatever. Is it noon yet?”

Ah, the innocence of childhood.

Finally, for the book lovers out there (and you know who you are), Bookslut has a profile of the literary smorgasbord that is the Exhibit Hall of the American Academy of Religion’s yearly meeting.

“Any academic conference’s pedestrian aorta leads right into the Exhibit Hall, a place clogged with publishers’ book booths. Last month, I immersed myself in the clamorous annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) — Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) in San Diego, and thus was able to graze in the mother of all Exhibit Halls. As one of 9,000-plus attendees, I joined other book lovers in walking up one aisle and down the next, refusing to miss a back corner or hidden grotto and thus a possible gem.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally planning on being at the next AAR meeting in Chicago. Pagan scholars, academic papers, and more books than you can shake a stick at. What more could you want?

Pagans and the American Academy of Religion

Jason — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:02:00 +0000

If you happen to be on the west coast this weekend, you might want to stop by the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Diego. The AAR is the world’s largest association of academics who research or teach topics related to religion, and their annual meeting has become a vital place to hear about the latest scholarship in the field of Pagan Studies. Today, the day before the AAR meeting starts, the annual Conference on Contemporary Pagan Studies is being held.

The theme for this year’s CCPS is “Material Culture and the Cutting Edge”, and features paper presentations by Chris Klassen on student responses to Witchcraft, and a panel discussion on creating a professional academic profile featuring Doug Cowan, Nikki Bado-Fralick and Paul Thomas. In addition, there will be several research reports from a variety of scholars working in the Pagan Studies field.

As for the AAR Meeting, there are several presentations and panel discussions that the Contemporary Pagan Studies Consultation are involved in. First is the CPSC’s session focused on “Pagan Borderlands” featuring presentations by Dr. Wendy Griffin, Barbara Jane Davy, and Laurel Zwissler (among others).

“This session of Contemporary Pagan Studies on “Pagan Borderlands” will address the various ambiguities of the liminal edge – whether as a porous bridging area between diametrically different identities, a defensive bulwark against intrusion or loss, or as the very “edge of chaos” where innovation and dynamic change arise. Mirroring Paganism’s own perception of the lethal dangers and sacred gifts of nature, the Pagan navigates the “land at the border” as an awesome zone of both vulnerability and fecundity.”

Also of note are the joint sessions the CPSC is holding with the Ritual Studies Group, and the Religion, Politics, and the State Group.

“Pagans at the Gate: Breaking through Church/State Boundaries. Challenges from the margins of America’s pluralistic society provide insight into church/state issues well beyond the usual Christian right/secular left dichotomy that prevails in public discourse. Those who have argued for a more prominent role for religion in the public square have invited, perhaps unwittingly, previously obscure religious groups to stake their claims to America’s religious freedom and the promise of unbiased government treatment of religion. This panel addresses the struggles of one such group, the Pagans, whose efforts to gain acknowledgment in the public square and to attain their own rights have profound implications for the rights of others.”

For a more robust listing of presentations, talks, and panel discussions of interest to modern Pagans check out this link. For those of you disappointed that you couldn’t get to California this year to attend, take heart, the next AAR annual meeting is being held in Chicago, which should make it easier for those of us in the Midwest to attend. Pagan involvement in scholarship and academia is a vital component of our maturation, giving us a better understanding of ourselves, and communicating with outsiders the diversity and vitality of our movement.

PS – For my readers interested in Unitarian-Universalism and liberal religion, the blog “Transient and Permanent” has a run-down of UU-related events at the AAR.