Coming Home to Paganism: Theory of Religious Conversion or a Theological Principle?

• Authors: Adam Anczyk , Matouš Vencálek
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The so-called “homecoming” is one of the most (if not the most) popular ways of depicting the process of becoming a follower of Neo-Paganism found in literature, from Margot Adler’s classical Drawing Down the Moon (1979) to contemporary authors, like Graham Harvey. It is interesting that “homecoming” simultaneously occurs in Neo-Pagan literature, as the common way of becoming Pagan, seen as opposite to the process of conversion (usually as a rapid change of religious beliefs). The critique of the “homecoming” defined in the academic field concentrates on showing that there is a possibility it may be more a theological notion, rather than a model of religious change to contemporary Paganism. The broad definition of religious conversion, understood as change in religious behaviour and beliefs, does include “homecoming” as one of the possible conversion narratives. Therefore, we may speak of a “coming home experience” as one of the main themes – but certainly not the only one – that is present in the histories of conversion to contemporary Paganism

Keywords

EN

Neo-Paganism; Homecoming Hypothesis; Religious Conversion

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• Journal: Studia Religiologica
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 161–171

Dates

published

2013-12-15

Contributors

author

Adam Anczyk

• Institute of Religious Studies, Jagiellonian University; Department of Social Factors and Methodology IOMEH

author

Matouš Vencálek

• Department for the Study of Religions, Masaryk University in Brno

Identifiers

DOI

10.4467/20844077SR.13.013.1601