The Paganism Reader [Paperback]

Chas Clifton (Editor), Graham Harvey (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415303532 | ISBN-13: 978-0415303538 | Publication Date: April 29, 2004 | Edition: 1

Paganism is one of the world's fastest-growing religions, practised in a huge variety of ways. The Paganism Reader provides a definitive collection of key sources in Paganism, ranging from its ancient origins to its twentieth-century reconstruction and revival. Chronologically organized sections include extracts from ancient Greek, Norse and Celtic literature, inspirational texts from the early twentieth-century, writings by leaders of the Pagan revival, and newer perspectives showing the diversity of Paganism today. Witchcraft, nature religion, shamanism and goddess worship are considered, as is the influence of environmental and feminist movements. Fully introduced, with editors' prefaces to all extracts and suggestions for further reading, this comprehensive book is an invaluable guide to Paganism and critical issues in its study.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Paganism Reader is the first to bring together some of the formative writings that have given birth to the Pagan revival and gives readers a fascinating insight into influences on contemporary Pagan thought.
–Vivianne Crowley

The Paganism Reader is easy to read and utterly fascinating--I think it should be on every Witch's bookshelf.
–Witchcraft, May-June 2005

About the Author

Chas S. Clifton teaches at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo & has written widely on paganism. Graham Harvey lectures at King Alfred's College in Winchester & is editor of Shamanism: A Reader (Routledge, 2002)

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (April 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415303532
• ISBN-13: 978-0415303538
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As diverse as nature..., May 6, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Paganism Reader (Paperback)

Routledge Press has a strong reputation for putting out fine scholarship and helpful editions for students, scholars, and other interested readers, as this book on Paganism, edited by Chas S. Clifton and Graham Harvey, is no exception to that tradition. This is a reader; it is not a single narrative-strand history nor is it simply a collection of works under the guise of scholarship but really saddled with an agenda. There are three primary sections, largely based on historical division - Part One introduces classical texts from the ancient world, Part Two looks at what are called `proto-revival' texts, and Part Three looks at the revival and diversification of paganism over the past century or so.

The Classical Texts draw on literature from many different cultures (British Isles, Nordic/Icelandic culture, and ancient Egypt as well as the more well-known Israel, Greece, and Rome). There was no one systematic religious framework called `paganism', as these texts indicate, but rather Paganism is a term used to cover a wide range of religious and spiritual ideas. These texts include a diversity of literary forms - autobiography, poems, narrative stories, histories, and even an epistle/letter.

The proto-revival texts include texts that reawaken to a celebration of the natural world and the spirituality inherent in it during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Again, the motivations are diverse (Romantic views of nature, a disillusionment with progress and urbanism, etc.) as well as the types of literature - included here pieces from Rudyard Kipling, Robert Graves, Aleister Crowley and Kenneth Grahame, among others. There is also the entry written by Margaret Murray for the 1929 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica on witchcraft, a rather sympathetic account of the history of witchcraft, making it something very different than it is popularly envisioned.

The third part explores twentieth century scholarship as well as works written by and for Pagans. Some of the tensions that exist in the diversity that is Paganism have to do with the emphasis on nature versus the emphasis on the self and personal reflection/discovery. Another tension has to do with hierarchy - are there those with power and position or not? Among the many titles given to Pagans today are Witches, Druids, Shamans, Eco-activists, Goddess worshippers, and several others. Magic sometimes plays a role, but not always. Paganism is far from the kind of devil worship sometimes portrayed by church hiearchs.

In the introduction, Clifton and Harvey clearly state that it is not the intention of this collection to steer the reader in any particular direction regarding this texts; to that end, the introduction is but a few pages long, and the list of further readings is quite generous at the end of the book. Clifton does contribute a few articles in Part Three, on nature religion and Western shamanism.

A fascinating study.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find a place for this book in your library, June 16, 2004

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paganism Reader (Paperback)

Sometimes we do not need 'how to' books because our need is not 'how to' but 'why'. Sometimes we need reminders of why we are, as opposed to who we are or what we do. Sometimes we need books that inspire us, or give us a reason for our lives.

The Paganism Reader is a well put together volume that provides us with material that offers inspiration, gentle teachings and insights into the very nature of our spirituality.

Mr. Clifton and Mr. Harvey have put together various works, classified by the time of their writings (classical, proto-revival, revival and diversification) that touch the heart of what it is to be pagan. The material is fresh for the most part, well chosen for content and it's appeal to the pagan reader in a variety of applications. The material can be read as individual pieces, or taken as a whole. It can be used for private meditation or as a group exercise for study.

The classical is represented by various excerpts; from the 'Book of Jeremiah' to 'Pliny the Elder' and material from the 'Irish Cycles' to Geoffrey of Monmouth. The material covers a wide range of myths and mysticism.

The proto-revival material is characterized by excerpts from "Aradia', Aleister Crowley's 'The Book of the Law', Margaret Murray on 'Witchcraft' and Rudyard Kipling's 'A Tree Song', to name a few.

Revival and diversification contains material selected from the writings of Doreen Valiente, Gerald Gardner, Robert Heinlein, Marion Bradley, Mr. Clifton and others. There is also a 'Further Reading' list that is quite in depth and a well thought out Index.

The material presented is as diverse as the many paths of paganism. The book offers to the general pagan some wonderful material that will provoke discussion as well as contemplation.
A must have book on your library shelf, it should be included in your 'must read' lists and is a very useful tool for any teacher, as well as a book I would consider a primer for anyone looking at the pagan path.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beth, September 21, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Ferrantino "xpickxyrxpoisonx" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paganism Reader (Paperback)

If you are interested in the historical, philisophical, and cultural dimensions of Paganism, Clifton's book is the best on the market. Relevant to Wiccans, Reconstructionists, Hermetics, and everything in between, this book will add real depth and color to your spiritual practice. The Paganism Reader is a lovely alternative to academic works about paganism written 'from the outside.' Chas Clifton is Pagan himself and is sensitive to our issues and experiences. An excellent book!