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Qualification of Slavic Rodnovery in Scientific Literature – Neopaganism Or Ethnic Religion” Received: March, 2013

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Qualification of Slavic Rodnovery in Scientific Literature – Neopaganism Or Ethnic Religion” Received: March, 2013 „СВЕВЛАД“ – www.svevlad.org.rs Milan Petrović, “Qualification of Slavic Rodnovery in scientific literature – neopaganism or ethnic religion” Received: March, 2013. Published: March, 2013. Qualification of Slavic Rodnovery in scientific literature – neopaganism or ethnic religion Milan Petrović ABSTRACT: Practice so far has shown that Slavic Rodnovery is inadequately qualified and classified in scientific literature. Authors overlook basic rules of scientific method and arbitrarily qualify Slavic Rodnovery based on insufficient amount of data. This paper tries to point out some of the methodological problems in scientific literature on Slavic Rodnovery and propose steps that would lead to solving those problems. Through considering publications on Slavic Rodnovery of number of authors it has been shown that it is inadequate to qualify Slavic Rodnovery with terms that are ambiguous and poorly defined. Emphasis of the paper is on terminological lacking of scientific literature. Slavic Rodnovery became rather convenient topic to make a career by writing papers that are borderline sensationalism, with no field work and by using outdated data or by fabricating data, without any consequences. Removing terminological lackings would solve these and other problems of scientific literature on Slavic Rodnovery. Paper suggests simple and purposeful solution for mentioned problems. Key words: Slavic Rodnovery, paganism, neopaganism, contemporary paganism, modern paganism, ethnic religion, native faith, polytheism, heathenism Corresponding author: [email protected] „СВЕВЛАД“ – www.svevlad.org.rs 2. Paganism and synonyms – 1. Introduction designation or derogatoriness? The goal of every scientific work, Paganism from Latin pagus, pagani whether it’s an article, study or book is to (country estate, peasant, country dweller) present to reader (who might be an expert is a term that was used before emergence in the field of the work in question or of Christianity. The term was used to layman, that wants to get a closer view on designate those peasants that haven’t the field) results of research, experiment, served in Roman military. This was the synthesis or analysis in objective, clear and meaning of the term pagan from II-I unambiguous manner, while informing (or century BCE until first half of the IV at least it should inform) the reader about century CE, when Christianity, which limitations and flaws od given work. spread primarily in centers of financial and In domestic (Serbian) scientific political power, i.e. cities, becomes literature term neopaganism is used for recognized religion in Roman Empire. Slavic Rodnovery, by default, as a Since, as a rule, country population qualification, and often as a name.[1] remained loyal to their ancestral beliefs, Situation is similar in literature in other term formerly used for country dwellers, Slavic languages became (in texts of Christian authors) (Russian,[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], Slovenian,[7] designation for faiths other than etc.) Christianity. Term is primarily used in In literature in English situation is even Germanic and Romanic languages. more drastic – while, on one hand, it is However, there is as many definitions discouraged to use term such as of the term “paganism” as there are neopaganism and terms like modern authors – each has its own definition. paganism and contemporary paganism are Paganism can refer to polytheistic, ethnic more often used by the scientific religions that predate Christianity in those community, on the other hand some parts of Europe and North Africa that were authors insist on using Slavic under the rule of Roman Empire (Greek, Neopaganism as a synonym for Slavic Roman, Egyptian, etc.).[8] It can refer to Rodnovery. That leads to situation in all European polytheistic, ethnic religions which all kinds of cults and religions that that predate Christianity (Greek, Roman, have nothing to do with Slavs are lumped Germanic, Gallic, Slavic, Nordic, Prussian, into Slavic Rodnovery. Latvian, etc.). According to “Catholic Having in mind aforementioned goal, Encyclopedia” paganism is „all religions we will discuss if using terms like other than the true one revealed by God, paganism, neopaganism, contemporary and, in a narrower sense, all except paganism and modern paganism in Christianity, Judaism, and scientific literature on Slavic Rodnovery is Mohammedanism. The term is also used as justified and what is more important – the equivalent of Polytheism“;[9] Oxford purposeful. We will try to investigate English Dictionary defines pagan as „a suitability of possible alternatives for those person holding religious beliefs other than terms, e.g. ethnic religion and native faith. those of the main world religions; dated, Through analysis of the meaning of derogatory a non-Christian.“;[10] Merriam-Webster Dictionary of US definitions for those terms we will show a that designating Slavic Rodnovery as English defines pagan as „1: heathen; paganism, neopaganism or any of the especially: a follower of a polytheistic derived terms is not suitable for scientific literature. a To be explained later in the text. 2 Milan Petrović, “Qualification of Slavic Rodnovery in scientific literature – neopaganism or ethnic religion” religion (as in ancient Rome) 2: one who etc., (when referring to an educated, white, has little or no religion and who delights male, heterosexual, non-Celtic European) in sensual pleasures and material goods: and “ignorant savage and/or pervert” an irreligious or hedonistic person“.[11] (when referring to everyone else on the In Qur’an pagans are adherents of Arab planet).“[14] Michael York understands ethnic religion, unlike “people of the term “paganism” as now extinct faith of Book” (Muslims, Christians and pre-Christian Europe, living native Jews).[12] “Lexicon of foreign words and religions, modern religions such as expressions” (in Serbian language) defines Hinduism and Shinto and new religious paganism as “heathenism,b polytheism movements of contemporary (expression that emerged because paganism.[15] York views paganism as heathenism lasted longest in the sort of single, unified religion (religion villages)“.[13] Certain definitions of form which all other religion originated, paganism include or exclude Hinduism, including Abrahamic religions), rather Jainism, Tengrism, Buddhism or some than umbrella term for multiple different other oriental religions. Some definitions religions. Aitamurto views paganism „as limit themselves on Europe, other on earth-base nature religion that celebrates Europe and North America, and some diversity and thus promotes ethnic include native religions of Africa. Some tolerance as well“.[16] Spasoje Vasiljevd definitions of paganism include only when writing on religion of Slavs uses polytheistic religions and some include term heathenism,e which is rather irreligious atheism, etc. Isaac Bonewitsc interesting, since Vasiljev has a lot to say when defining paganism writes: „The early about gods and goddesses of Slavs.[17] Roman Christians used “pagan” to refer Bojan Jovanovićf (writing from the angle to everyone who preferred to worship pre- of Eastern Orthodox Christianity) points Christian divinities, whom the Christians out that paganism is not definied well had decided were all “really” demons in enough, however he introduces the phrase disguise, based on the habit of rural folks “post-Christian paganism” (sr. holding on to their old faiths longer than постхришћанско паганство) thus city folks, as well as because the emphasizing the phenomena that, given polytheists were unwilling to enroll in “the appropriate circumstances, paganism Army of the Lord.” Over the centuries, reoccurs among previously Christianized “pagan” became simply an insult, applied populations and that paganism has a to the monotheistic followers of Islam by feature to occur discontinuously, even the Christians (and vice versa), and by the after the periods of repression.g Jovanović Protestants and Catholics towards each ties the meaning of the term paganism to other, as it gradually gained the connotation of “a false religion and its d Spasoje Vasiljev is Serbian historian and followers.” By the beginning of the mythologist that lived and worked in first half of twentieth century, the word’s primary XX century. His most famous work is “Slavic meanings became a blend of “atheist,” mythology” (sr. „Словенска митологија“) published in 1928. “agnostic,” “hedonist,” “religionless,” e In Serbian “незнабожачка вера” – faith that has no knowledge of the god, atheism. b In Serbian “незнабоштво” – faith that has no f Bojan Jovanović is Serbian anthropologist, poet knowledge of the god, atheism, lack of religion. and filmmaker. He works as a scientific adviser at c We are citing definitions of Isaac Bonewits due to the Institute for Balkan Studies of Serbian unique academic title he had earned at Berkeley Academy of Sciences and Arts. University and special knowledge he had to gather g It should be noted that Jovanović bravely took on in order to earn it. Also, he had direct contact with aspect of paganism rarely addressed in scientific adherents of polytheistic religions. Alltogether he is literature – feature of its discontinuous occurrence. probably most influential expert for making this This aspect is of great importance, among other type of definitions. things, for understanding term neopaganism. 3 „СВЕВЛАД“ – www.svevlad.org.rs specific application, noticing that the term relative to the region and time period, and has different meanings
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