Paganistan: Notes from the Secret Commonwealth
In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.
Differently Theological
Some would say that the pagan religions are non-theological.
If by this we mean that pagan religions tend not to have 'systematic' theologies, I would agree.
But I prefer to think that we're just differently theological.
Drawing on the word's original meaning (theos, 'a god' + logos, 'word') theologian David Miller defines theology as 'thinking and talking about the gods.' (Miller's 1974 The New Polytheism: Rebirth of the Gods and Goddesses was a pioneering work of contemporary polytheist thought.)
No system required, no seminaries involved. Thinking and talking about the gods.
That's something that pagans do all the time.
While the core of who we are is and will always be what we do, ultimately rote doing just isn't enough. We need to think about what we do as well.
And that's pagan theology.
To misquote Sokrates, the unexamined religion is not worth observing.
But that you already knew.
Comments
-
Please login first in order for you to submit comments
