Copyright © 2020 Bruce Douglas Konold
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Copyright © 2020 Bruce Douglas Konold All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation, or instruction. DEFINING TWIN CITIES WICCA: THE EMERGENCE OF WICCA AS A POLYAFFILIATED PAGAN MOVEMENT __________________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _________________ by Bruce Douglas Konold December 2020 APPROVAL SHEET DEFINING TWIN CITIES WICCA: THE EMERGENCE OF WICCA AS A POLYAFFILIATED PAGAN MOVEMENT Bruce Douglas Konold Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ George H. Martin (Chair) __________________________________________ Timothy K. Beougher _________________________________________ J. Keith McKinley Date TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES.……………………………………………………………………………...viii LIST OF FIGURES.……………………………………………………………………………....ix PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………………………x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1 Thesis……………………………………………………………………………………2 Background Information………………………………………………………………...3 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………..4 Methodology………………………………………………………………………….....4 Definitions…………………………………………………………………………….....5 Paganism…………………………………………………………………………..5 Neopaganism………………………………………………………………………5 Pagan………………………………………………………………………………5 Wicca………………………………………………………………………………5 Wiccans……………………………………………………………………………5 Witch………………………………………………………………………………6 Magic……………………………………………………………………………....6 Coven……………………………………………………………………………....6 iii Chapter Page Esbats……………………………………………………………………………....6 Sabbats……………………………………………………………………………...6 Limitations and Delimitations…………………………………………………………..6 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………7 2. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………….9 Demonstrating Primary Literature in the Wiccan Tradition……………………………9 Bibliographical Study……………………………………………………………..10 Narrative Study……………………………………………………………………12 Summary Comparison of Bibliographical and Narrative Studies………………...13 Organizing Wiccan Literature into Historical Stages……………………………..14 Organizing the Literature by its Emic-Etic Relationship to Wicca……………….15 Review of Primary and Secondary Wiccan Sources…………………………………..15 British Occult Sources (1888-1954)………………………………………………15 Gardnerian Wiccan Sources (1954-1964)………………………………………...19 Wiccan Denominational Sources (1964-1979)…………………………………...21 Solo-Practitioner Wiccan Sources (1979-1999)…………………………………..32 Polyaffiliated Wiccan and Pagan Sources (2000-2019)…………………………..34 Review of Tertiary Sources in the Wiccan Tradition………………………………….37 Review of Quaternary Sources in the Wiccan Tradition………………………………41 3. ORIGINS: FROM BRITISH OCCULTISM TO PAGANISTAN……………………….44 Introduction: Myth or History?......................................................................................44 Precursors to Wicca: British Occult Groups…………………………………………..49 iv Chapter Page Precursors to Wicca: British Occult Individuals………………………………………55 The Birth of Wicca: Gerald Gardner…………………………………………………..61 The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America…………………………………………64 The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in the Twin Cities………………………………….68 4. CONTEMPORARY WICCA AS A POLYAFFILIATED PAGAN MOVEMENT…….72 The Erosion of Gardnerian Wicca as the Cohesive Core of Paganism………………..73 Demonstrating Polyaffiliation in Paganism Today……………………………………80 5. THE FUTURE OF WICCA………………………………………………………………98 Proposition 1: Continuity with Cultural Faiths………………………………………..99 Proposition 2: Non-Empirical Doctrine………………………………………………101 Proposition 3: Strictness……………………………………………………………...105 Proposition 4: Leadership…………………………………………………………….107 Proposition 5: Volunteerism………………………………………………………….110 Proposition 6: Fertility Rates…………………………………………………………116 Proposition 7: Religious Competition………………………………………………..121 Proposition 8: Internal and External Relationships…………………………………..124 Proposition 9: Environmental Tension……………………………………………….126 Proposition 10: Socialization of Young………………………………………………128 6. TOWARD AN EFFECTIVE GOSPEL WITNESS TO PAGANS……………………..136 Four Principles for Christians Studying Non-Christian Religions …………………...136 Principle 1: Accuracy……………………………………………………………138 Principle 2: Fairness……………………………………………………………..141 v Chapter Page Principle 3: Objectivity………………………………………………………….145 Principle 4: Respect……………………………………………………………...146 Challenges to Evangelizing Pagans…………………………………………………..149 Problem Behaviors of Christians Toward Pagans……………………………….150 Problem Behaviors of Pagans Toward Christians……………………………….155 Nine Perspectives on Christians Engaging Pagans with the Gospel…………………167 Perspective 1: Christians and Pagans have Worldview Differences…………….167 Perspective 2: Christians and Pagans have Theological Differences……………169 Perspective 3: Christians and Pagans have Political Differences………………..172 Perspective 4: Each Pagan is Unique……………………………………………173 Perspective 5: Pagans have Rejected Christianity……………………………….174 Perspective 6: Pagans are Often Victims of Abuse……………………………...176 Perspective 7: Christians and Pagans are Both Created the Image of God……...178 Perspective 8: Christians and Pagans Both Respect the Environment…………..179 Perspective 9: Christians and Pagans Can be Friends…………………………...181 7. CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………………………..183 Summary of Research………………………………………………………………..183 Implications of Research……………………………………………………………..184 Avenues for Further Research………………………………………………………..185 Ethnographical Studies…………………………………………………………..186 Pagan Conferences, Seminars, Gatherings………………………………………186 Pagan Websites…………………………………………………………………..187 vi Page Paganism, Abuse, Mental Health, and the Spiritual Realm……………………..188 Religious Scholarship……………………………………………………………188 Philosophical Foundations of the Pagan Worldview……………………………189 Missiological Issues and Paganism……………………………………………...189 Witchcraft and Paganism in Popular Culture……………………………………190 Biblical Critique of Paganism…………………………………………………...190 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….191 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………...192 1. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT BOOKS USED IN BIBLIOGRPHICAL STUDY……192 2. PRINCIPLES OF WICCAN BELIEF…………………………………………………...200 3. PAGANICON 2018 SEMINARS……………………………………………………….202 4. PAGANICON 2019 SEMINARS……………………………………………………….204 5. PAGANICON 2020 SEMINARS……………………………………………………….207 6. FULL EMAIL FROM ELYSIA GALLO, SEPTEMEBER 19, 2017…………………...210 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………….213 vii LIST OF TABLES Page 1. Five Historical Stages of Wiccan Literature……………………………………………...14 2. Worldview Comparison…………………………………………………………………164 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Pagan Authors Most Cited (by Percent) in Bibliographies……………………………….10 2. Secular Authors Most Cited (by Percent) in Bibliographies……………………………...11 3. British Occult Authors Most Cited (by Percent) in Bibliographies………………………11 4. Wiccan and Pagans Most Cited (by Percent) in Historical Narratives……………………12 5. British Occultists Most Cited (by Percent) in Historical Narratives……………………...13 6. Decline of Citing British Occult Sources in Bibliographies……………………………...82 7. Decline of Citing Traditional Wiccan Sources in Bibliographies………………………...82 ix PREFACE I want to express my gratitude to my dear wife of thirty years, Tami Konold, for her continual support during many long hours of research and writing. I want to thank my doctoral advisor, professor, and treasured friend, Dr. George Martin. Dr. Martin has relentlessly pushed me to do better in writing and research. Special thanks to my Pastoral Assistant, Mrs. Kelly Knickerbocker, for entering data and serving as a sounding board for ideas, and thanks to Mrs. Jessica Casique for many hours spent proofreading. Thanks to my son, Max Konold, for rescuing me technically on the finer points of Microsoft Word. I also need to thank Dr. Murphy Pizza for her friendship, scholarly opinions that helped me immensely, and her willingness to be a reader for this dissertation. Finally, I want to thank the Witches and Pagans of the Coffee Cauldron for putting up with my questions and ideas for hundreds of hours! At least the coffee was good! Bruce Douglas Konold Eagan, Minnesota December 2020 x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Paganism has been one of the fastest growing religions in the United States since 1990.1 Of the many Pagan2 groups in the United States, the largest and most influential is Wicca.3 Silver RavenWolf claims that Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the United States.4 The actual number of Wiccans and the growth of Wicca are difficult to assess. Estimates of practicing Wiccans in America range from 8,000 to over one million.5 Numerous Wiccan groups 1 The rapid growth of Paganism is reported by many authors. Gus diZerega, “Paganism and Neopaganism: Adherent Essay,” in Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices, ed. Terry C. Muck, Harold A. Netland, and Gerald R. McDermott (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014), 543. Gary F. Jensen, Ashley Thompson, “‘Out of the Broom Closet’: The Social Ecology of American Wicca,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 47 no. 4 (2008): 753–66. William E. Gordon, Jr., “Occult Practices and Beliefs of Wicca,” Southwestern Journal of Theology 46 no. 2 (2004): 31–42. Douglas E. Cowan, Cyberhenge: Modern Pagans on the Internet (New York: Routledge, 2005). Cowan agrees that Wicca is growing, yet he cautions against saying