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A review by thepurplebookwyrm
Pagans: The Visual Culture of Pagan Myths, Legends and Rituals by Ethan Doyle White
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Pagans presents a decently comprehensive, and lavishly illustrated overview of pagan or, alternatively, non-Abrahamic religions, past and present, through its deities, its rituals, its symbols and broader iconography.
I really appreciated the fact this, on the whole, very good reference included contemporary pagan religions derived from European traditions and history – alongside traditional religions from Africa, East Asia and the Americas – and treated them with respect and dignity.
The author also did a good job of pointing out the fact a lot of contemporary pagan practices aren't, actually, directly derived from ancient pagan practices (as pertaining to those traditions rooted in Europe's pre-Christian past, at least), but that this doesn't lessen their validity as legitimate religious or spiritual traditions. Where contemporary paganism does overlap with historical re-constructionism and actual historical tradition, this was pointed out as well – to some extent.
I did, unfortunately, spot an actual mistake in the text (perhaps an oversight on the editors' part), and a couple of points, here and there, lacked some nuance. It's also not the most thorough text you'll encounter on the subject of ancient and contemporary pagan, or Earth-centred, or non-Abrahamic religions – there is apparently controversy surrounding the usage of the term "pagan", when it comes to those religions, so use the one you prefer – but it really is a very nice, visual reference on the topic and I'm glad I not only read it, but have a copy of it to store in my non-fiction library. And I would thus happily recommend it to other readers interested in this subject.
I really appreciated the fact this, on the whole, very good reference included contemporary pagan religions derived from European traditions and history – alongside traditional religions from Africa, East Asia and the Americas – and treated them with respect and dignity.
The author also did a good job of pointing out the fact a lot of contemporary pagan practices aren't, actually, directly derived from ancient pagan practices (as pertaining to those traditions rooted in Europe's pre-Christian past, at least), but that this doesn't lessen their validity as legitimate religious or spiritual traditions. Where contemporary paganism does overlap with historical re-constructionism and actual historical tradition, this was pointed out as well – to some extent.
I did, unfortunately, spot an actual mistake in the text (perhaps an oversight on the editors' part), and a couple of points, here and there, lacked some nuance. It's also not the most thorough text you'll encounter on the subject of ancient and contemporary pagan, or Earth-centred, or non-Abrahamic religions – there is apparently controversy surrounding the usage of the term "pagan", when it comes to those religions, so use the one you prefer – but it really is a very nice, visual reference on the topic and I'm glad I not only read it, but have a copy of it to store in my non-fiction library. And I would thus happily recommend it to other readers interested in this subject.