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Women's Empowerment in Neo-Paganism

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Women's Empowerment in Neo-Paganism UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Department of Theology Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Master thesis, 30 credits Spring, 2020 Supervisor: Oliver Li WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN NEO-PAGANISM A study of power and gender and what we can learn about women’s empowerment in Neo- Paganism. Ana-Marija Spajić Ana-Marija Spajic Spring 2020 UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Department of Theology Master thesis, 30 credits ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 PURPOSE AND AIM .................................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 2. TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................ 6 2.1 NEO-PAGAN MOVEMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 EMPOWERMENT..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 SEXUALITY AND GENDER ....................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 3. METHOD ..................................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 SURVEY ................................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2 LITERATURE ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.3 INTERVIEWS......................................................................................................................................... 14 3.4 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS ...................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 4. THEORY....................................................................................................................................... 15 4.1 AUTHORITY ......................................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 DUALISM .............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.3 SEXUALITY AND GENDER ..................................................................................................................... 18 4.4 WITCHES AND HERETICS...................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 5. PREVIOUS RESEARCH .................................................................................................................. 22 5.1 WOMEN IN NEOLITHIC AND PALEOLITHIC EUROPE............................................................................. 24 5.2 NEO-PAGANISM ................................................................................................................................... 25 5.3 WICCA ................................................................................................................................................. 27 5.4 ASATRU................................................................................................................................................ 29 5.5 DRUIDISM ............................................................................................................................................ 30 CHAPTER 6. EMPOWERMENT THROUGH NEO-PAGANISM ............................................................................. 31 6.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE DATA .............................................................................................................. 31 6.1.1 Survey .......................................................................................................................................... 31 6.1.2 Violet ............................................................................................................................................ 32 6.1.3 Maria ........................................................................................................................................... 33 6.1.4 Bryn ............................................................................................................................................. 34 6.1.5 Belatimara ................................................................................................................................... 35 6.2 THEMES OF EMPOWERMENT ................................................................................................................ 35 6.2.1 Sexuality and gender .................................................................................................................... 36 6.2.2 Institutionalization ....................................................................................................................... 40 6.2.3 Interpretation and spirituality ...................................................................................................... 43 6.2.4 Family .......................................................................................................................................... 48 6.2.5 Leadership, authority and power-structures ................................................................................. 49 CHAPTER 7. SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 52 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 55 2 Ana-Marija Spajic Spring 2020 UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Department of Theology Master thesis, 30 credits Abstract Too often women have a secondary place in religious institutions, with no possibility to influence or come into leading positions. This thesis aims to understand women’s empowerment by searching for such examples in Neo-Paganism, a growing New Religious Movement (NRM) in the west. Grace Jantzen’s development of Foucault’s power theory is utilized to analyze and understand the results. A mixed method is used; four interviews are conducted with Wiccan and Druid women, a survey of 332 women is analyzed, and literature and studies on Neo-Paganism are analyzed. I draw the conclusion that Neo-Paganism can empower women in different ways, however, this can be influenced by socio-cultural factors, as empowerment can look very different in different countries. The result is meant to provide us with an understanding of women’s needs in a religious and spiritual context, so that women may become empowered within their religious communities. Keywords: Neo-Pagan, Neo-Paganism, Wicca, Druid, Asatru, Odinism, Feminism, Power, Empowerment, Religion, New Religious Movement, NRM 3 Ana-Marija Spajic Spring 2020 UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Department of Theology Master thesis, 30 credits Acknowledgments I wish to thank everyone who helped make this thesis possible through their constant support. Firstly, thank you to my supervisor Oliver Li who has always challenged me to push myself and do better. Thank you for all the comments, suggestions and for presenting me with Grace Jantzen’s theory which has shaped this thesis. I also wish to thank the four women who took their time to answer questions during these stressful times of a pandemic; without them this thesis would not have been possible. A big thank you to my University colleagues who have supported me during these past two years, from study groups to help finding informants for this thesis and reviewing my work. I also wish to thank both my sisters who have proof- read the thesis and survey. Finally, a big thank you to my husband who always believes in me, and my daughter who made it possible for me to study. 4 Ana-Marija Spajic Spring 2020 UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Department of Theology Master thesis, 30 credits Chapter 1. Introduction Since starting to study humanities and theology almost five years ago, I have grown increasingly interested in women and their religiosity. Growing up in a Catholic community in Sweden, I experienced that there wasn’t a platform for women to express and grow their spirituality. As I grew up, I came to realize that religion is often male-dominated; the holy texts tell predominantly the stories of men; the prophets are male, the Judeo-Christian God is often depicted as male. Even those who had the privilege to interpret the texts, through centuries, were predominantly male. Women often have a secondary place in religious institutions; with few exceptions religious institutions still don’t allow women to become priests, and the female body is often at the center of debate regarding clothing, family life and sexuality. At the same time, women are often active
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