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A review by kayeofswords
Ascendant: Modern Essays on Polytheism and Theology by Patrick Dunn, Edward P. Butler
5.0
Ascendant is a collection of essays from many people working in modern polytheistic theology. The essays are all targeted very broadly; while many contributors have written more focused books and articles on specific theological questions, this book casts the net wide and is a good introduction to the work of each specific contributor. For people interested in polytheistic theology, almost all of the essays provide good points at which to onboard oneself into further investigation through their bibliographies and whatever passages may be of interest to a reader.
My favorite essays (beyond the introductory one) were "Approaching Theology Through the Divine Individual" (Brandon Hensley), "The One and the Many: An Essay on Pagan Neoplatonism" (John Michael Greer), "Two Models of Polytheism" (EP Butler), and "The Hellenic Gods and the Polis" (Gwendolyn Reece). I highlighted many passages in each of them and have made some mental notes on some places where I need to follow up with some associated reading.
A revised edition came out shortly after its publication, which removed one of the essays; the one removed was one that I had the most issues with, but I also disagreed a bit with "Of Lying Gods and True Religion" (Wayne Keysor), specifically its sections describing gods' selfishness and the ways in which modern individuals can interact with mythology. Even if I found myself in disagreement with them, they were both definitely thought-provoking in terms of helping me understand what my own positions on such matters are. This is why I am not docking a star.
Another thing — which is out of control of the contributors or the editor — is that most of the contributors are men. That fact left a lingering question in the back of my mind because many Neopagan movements have more women than other genders in them, so where are the women doing polytheistic theology? This question had nothing to do with how I rated the book, but it's food for further thought.
My favorite essays (beyond the introductory one) were "Approaching Theology Through the Divine Individual" (Brandon Hensley), "The One and the Many: An Essay on Pagan Neoplatonism" (John Michael Greer), "Two Models of Polytheism" (EP Butler), and "The Hellenic Gods and the Polis" (Gwendolyn Reece). I highlighted many passages in each of them and have made some mental notes on some places where I need to follow up with some associated reading.
A revised edition came out shortly after its publication, which removed one of the essays; the one removed was one that I had the most issues with, but I also disagreed a bit with "Of Lying Gods and True Religion" (Wayne Keysor), specifically its sections describing gods' selfishness and the ways in which modern individuals can interact with mythology. Even if I found myself in disagreement with them, they were both definitely thought-provoking in terms of helping me understand what my own positions on such matters are. This is why I am not docking a star.
Another thing — which is out of control of the contributors or the editor — is that most of the contributors are men. That fact left a lingering question in the back of my mind because many Neopagan movements have more women than other genders in them, so where are the women doing polytheistic theology? This question had nothing to do with how I rated the book, but it's food for further thought.