Neo-paganism: ritual forged by the Burning Times

The Burning Times has been of interest to both scholars and practitioners alike over the past few decades. The interest typically focuses on those that died and the discrepancy of the number of those who perished. While the historical and sociological aspects of the Burning Times are fascinating, when the analytical lens is shifted to examine how the Burning Times affect present-day practitioners, it proves to be just as fascinating and much more subtle. Paganism's practitioners greet the Burning Times with a sense of ambivalence. The Burning Times balances between being meaningful and meaningless. The Burning Times can be understood through legitimacy, myth, and space and time through two means. First, it can be seen, through Ritual practice within Pagan covens. Second, the Burning Times can be seen when Pagans make the decision whether to be “out� or closeted. Throughout both of these areas of study, the element of ambivalence can be seen.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology (UMKC)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Spencer, Linda

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jackson, Shannon M.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10355/12443

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/12443