Researching PaganismsJenny Blain, Douglas Ezzy, Graham Harvey Should researchers of spirituality and religion be distantly "objective," or engaged and active participants? The traditional paradigm of 'methodological agnosticism' is increasingly challenged as researchers emphasize the benefits of direct participation for understanding beliefs and practices. Should academic researchers "go native," participating as "insiders" in engagements with the "supernatural," experiencing altered states of of consciousness? How do academics negotiate the fluid boundaries between worlds and meanings which may change their own beliefs? Should their own experiences be part of academic reports? Researching Paganisms presents reflective and engaging accounts of issues in the academic study of religion confronted by anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, historians and religious studies scholars--as researchers and as humans--as they study contemporary Pagan religions. The insights that contributors gain, with resultant changes to their own lives, will fascinate not only other scholars of Pagan religions, but scholars of any religion and indeed anyone who grapples with issues of reflexive research. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
PERFORMANCE AND REFLEXIVITY | 13 |
BARDISMANDTHE PERFORMANCE OF PAGANISM IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF RESEARCH | 15 |
METHODS OF COMPASSION OR PRETENSION? THE CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING FIELDWORK IN MODERN MAGICAL COMMUNIT... | 43 |
THE DEOSIL DANCE | 59 |
CHALLENGING OBJECTIVITY THEORIZING SUBJECTIVITY | 65 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION AND THE STUDY OF PAGANISM | 67 |
DRUGS BOOKS AND WITCHES | 72 |
ATTHEWATERS EDGE AN ECOLOGICALLY INSPIRED METHODOLOGY | 105 |
THEALOGIES IN PROCESS RESEARCHING AND THEORIZING SPIRITUALITIES SUBJECTIVITIES AND GODDESSTALK | 117 |
LIVING WITH WITCHCRAFT | 139 |
RELOCATING THE RESEARCHER | 157 |
BETWEEN THE WORLDS AUTOARCHAEOLOGY AND NEOSHAMANS | 159 |
TRACING THE INAUTHENTIC SEERESS FROM SEIDMAGICTO STONE CIRCLES | 185 |
PAGAN STUDIES OR THE STUDY OF PAGANISMS? A CASE STUDY IN THE STUDY OF RELIGIONS | 209 |
INDEX | 225 |
GLEANINGS FROM THE FIELD LEFTOVER TALES OF GRIEF AND DESIRE | 75 |
RELIGIOUS ETHNOGRAPHY PRACTICING THE WITCHS CRAFT | 87 |
EMBODYING RELATIONSHIPS COMMUNITY AND HISTORY | 103 |
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS | 235 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
academic analysis anthropology approach archaeology argues atheism autoethnography Bard become beliefs Blain challenges chapter comparative theories constructed contemporary Pagan conversion critical culture disciplines discourse discuss Druidry Druids drum edited engage entheogens ethnographic explored feminist feminist Witchcraft festival field fieldwork gious Goddess Goddess movement Goddess-talk going native Harvey health and religion Heathenry identity insider interaction interpretation involved issues Kvale London Lothlorien Luhrmann magical mental health methodology methods movement mystery religion narratives nature neo-Pagan neo-Shamans neotribal objective otherworld Pagan studies pagan witchcraft participant observation performance Persinger Ph.D position postmodern practice practitioners Priestess psychology of religion reality reflection reflexive relationship religious conversion religious studies ritual role Ronald Hutton Routledge sacred Salomonsen Schechner scholars seidr sense shamanic social sociology spiritual experiences Starhawk stories study of Paganism Study of Religion theology tion traditions understanding University Press Wallis Western Wicca Witches women writing
References to this book
Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Festivals Management: An International ... No preview available - 2007 |
Teenage Witches: Magical Youth and the Search for the Self Helen A. Berger,Douglas Ezzy No preview available - 2007 |