Glocal Christianity

Salem Witchcraft Trials

Religious persecution is something I find deeply offensive, particularly when persued by people who claim to be followers of the messiah, Jesus. Yet, it has happened, and if we are committed to ensuring it never happens again we must remember. So here is some archive information on the Salem witchcraft trials, something I am truly sorry for.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 - A collection of images, documents, essays, maps, links, games, and other information pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive - Archived documents, maps, and biographies. From the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center.

National Geographic: Interactive Witch Hunt - Experience the 1692 Salem witch hunt in a terrifying online trial: 'Are you a witch? How long have you been in the snare of the devil? Confess!'

Salem Witchcraft History - Why did it occur in Salem? Salem was a prime spot for this event, and it the witchcraft trials were a culmination of many factors. ...

Salem Massachusetts - The Witch Trials - Information about the trials, as well as upcoming events and attractions from the official site of Salem, MA.

But if we believe 80% of communication is nonverbal, verbalizing is never enough. So how about seeking reconciliation? So how about making peace with pagans, witches and goddess worshippers? They're only a hyperlink away.

Is paganChristianity unChristian?

You know, I think I finally nailed where I part ways with Frank Viola on "Pagan Christianity". It came out in conversation.

I was discussing the book with a friend on Sunday, who, like me, liked the book but had a few misgivings. And I said, "Apart from the euphamistic way he uses the word 'Pagan', which really grates with Pagans, what's most problematic for me is that he shows insufficient appreciation for just how unessential many first century Christian practices actually were."

What I mean is this, I think Viola is unquestionably correct in identifying many contemporary Christian practices as noncore, nonChristian even and thus nonessential. Where I think he errs is, in insisting there's a pristine Christianity waiting to be restored.

Consider, a huge chunk of the New Testament consists of Paul's letters to various Christian communities. And a huge chunk of that consists of Paul castigating Hebrew Christians for pushing nonessential Hebrew practices onto Gentile Christians. But does Paul ever castigate Hebrew Christians for practicing circumcision and kosher diets amongst themselves? No. Curiously, no.

What this suggests is, Paul was keen to differentiate between what was essential and what was not, but he regarded what was not as culturally "optional" rather than intrinsically "antiChristian". What this suggests in turn is, neither should we assume that everything which is "Pagan" is intrinsically "antiChristian". We need to look deeper before we decide that, before we write off Gentile (that is, Pagan) Christianity altogether.

Thus, though I agree buildings and podiums and pews and ordination ceremonies and Christmas celebrations have nonChristian origins, I disagree that Christian communities are less than authentic when they don't ditch everything, at least not automaticallty. Instead I would say, let's look at this through the lens of critical contextualization. It may be that we can use some of these things redemptively. Then again, maybe not. I may still land in the same place as Viola when its all said and done!  

But the difference is, I tend to stress "essentials first" rather than "essentials only". Though I can apreciate the value of microchurch, I am not so keen on saying there is a biblically mandated size restriction; and though I can see the pitfalls of ceremonialism, I am not so keen on poo pooing symbolic expression and embracing iconoclasm. I think, so long as it's helpful, everything is permissible.

Story, Symbol and Spirituality

One of the reasons I value interfaith dialogue is that it helps me to see my own faith in new ways.

For example, in conversing with the esoteric community over the years one of the things that has been highlighted for me is how distinctive Christianity is in terms of its emphasis on story. Esotericists place much emphasis on symbolic correspondances. Christians, in contrast, place much more emphasis on story correspondances.

So, where esotericists draw extensively from various symbol systems, such as the major arcana of the tarot, the sephirot of the qabalah, the elements of alchemy, etc, etc, Christians draw much more extensively from story collections, not only in terms of the New and Old Testament collections, but also in terms of hagiography and testimony. This is not to say esotericists are indifferent to story or Christians are indifferent to symbol; what I'm saying is, the emphasis differs. It really differs.

Nowhere is this more important in how we understand deity. In my experience esotericists relate to their deities primarily through their symbol systems and only secondarily through their stories, their mythologies. Indeed, for some esotericists their deities are symbols. This can be vary difficult for Christians to understand, particularly Christians from more iconoclastic traditions.

Why do I mention this? Because of its implications for alternative worship, for contextualized ritual. Because, if we're committed to being in the world but not of the world, if we're committed to engaging our culture without loosing our Christian distinctiveness, then we have to learn to use symbol more effectively without story become subordinate. But I'm afraid, from what I've seen and heard, that, this has not always been the case.

So engagement with the esoteric community has given me a deeper appreciation for story and its significance for Christian spirituality. I have learnt I need to learn more about stories. How does story work? How does story relate to drama, to sacred reenactment, to crisis ritual, to life as we experience it? In the New Testament stories for instance, there can often be multiple characters involved. Disciples like Peter, Thomas, Mary. Opponents like the Pharisees, Herod, Pilate. Ambiguous characters like Judas and Nicodemus. Others like the tax collecters and the crowds. And, overarching them all, God. How do their struggles touch our struggles? How am I sometimes a Judas? A Nicodemus? How can I engage with the story on the level of symbol? Is this story something I find myself in? When I pray, how do these stories inform me? In this visual, interactive, multimedia age of ours, its important that Christians, evangelicals in particular, relearn how to relate story and symbol in ways that are distinctively Christian.

Burning Times as Scientific Pogrom?

Religious intollerance is often blamed for "the burning times" ... but could scientific intollerance be just as culpuble?

For my counselling course I was reading an interesting article by Heather Gridley, senior lecturer of Social Sciences and Psychology at Victoria University. In the article, "Psychology, Spirituality, Religion and Culture - Harvesting the Gifts of All Our Ancestors", she made the following remarks in relation to the scientific revolution:

Nature was of course assumed to be feminine and passive, awaiting the gaze and penetration of the male scientist-adventurer. Europe's first universities were now well established, but the Malleus Maleficarum (hammer of the witches), the manual of the Inquisition on the Middle Ages, had ensured that women took no part in the cultural and scientific Renaissance, except as artist' models - any women who dared to 'cure' without having studied (from which they were banned) was declared to be a witch, and so the healing knowledges of midwives and others fell outside "the academy" of the emerging male profession.

I have heard such suggestions before, that professional rivalry was a contributing factor to the witch burnings, but the full implications of that had not hit home before. Without minimizing the responsibility of the Christian community, it would seem the scientific community needs to do some repenting of its own. 

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How to treat a Pagan Old Testament style

God was very intolerant of syncretism, of Israelites mixing the worship of God with the worship of foreign gods, but what of pagan foreigners themselves? What the Old Testament has to say may surprise you.

Here is just a small sample from the Law:

Exodus 22:21
Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.

Exodus 23:9
Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

Exodus 23:12
Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

Leviticus 16:29
This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you-

Leviticus 19:10
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:33
When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.

Leviticus 19:34
The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 23:22
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 24:22
You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 25:35
If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.

Numbers 15:15
The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD :

Numbers 15:16
The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.

Deuteronomy 1:16
And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.

Deuteronomy 10:18
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 23:7
Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country.

Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.

Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.

Deuteronomy 27:19
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

So, what about the Prophets? Again, this is just a small sample

Psalm 146:9
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

So, when a Christian mistreats a Pagan, when he or she bears false witness against them or denies them justice, are they obeying the God? Are they obeying God’s laws? Are they listening to God’s prophets?

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Will a co-redemptix make everything warm and fuzzy?

Pagans over at the Wild Hunt Blog have been celebrating suggestions that the Pope may be moving towards officially recognizing Mary as co-redemptrix. Even if this is true I think their celebrations may be premature if they think this is equivalent to a shift towards feminism. If anything the Papal line against feminism seems to have hardened in recent years. Personally I see this as a way of controlling and domesticating feminist impulses within the Catholic church.

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Atheists, Christians, and Pagans

Gus diZerega, who co-authored Beyond the Burning Times with my friend Philip Johnson, recently posted some thought provoking comments on Atheists, Christians, and Pagans.

The recent plethora of books by militant atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens is beginning to generate a good deal of return fire from people writing within the Christian tradition, either as sophisticated adherents or writers recognizing that on balance our society benefited from it rather more than it lost.  ... I think we NeoPagans have something of value to add to this debate about the social value of religion.

I agree and think this call to engage is a welcome development. Too often Atheist apologetics is framed in bipolar terms. The standard talk is of "irreligion versus religion" with Christianity, particularly fundamentalist Christianity, being seen as the primary representative of "religion". In a pluralistic society such as our own I see this as deeply myopic and deeply problematic, so I welcome Pagans to the conversation and wish them well in broadening it.

I am also encouraged that Gus avoids the easy stereotypes of Christianity and Paganism which promises to lift the conversation to a higher and more mutually respectful level.

The Sacred Marriage in Pagan and Christian Dialogue

Is YHWH unbalanced without a wife?

I recently had a conversation with a number of Pagans and Christians that was very helpful for me in crystalizing my thinking on gender and God and why Pagans and Christians often end up talking past each other on God and gender issues. I now think a significant piece of the puzzle is the way Pagans and Christians draw on sacred marriage motifs in very different ways. About half way through the conversation I summed it up this way:

Try this as a summary. As I see it one of the crucial points of difference between Paganism and Christianity is that Pagans employ the sacred marriage motif "horizontally" whereas Christians employ the sacred marriage motif "vertically".

The Pagan understanding leads Pagans to speak of balance between gods and goddesses (in a way that conflicts with the deepest principles of monotheism). The Christian understanding leads Christians to speak of the coming together of humanity and divinity as a kind of wedding feast (in a way that conflicts with Pagan understandings of justice, divine immanence and the direction of history or lack thereof).

An important challenge we Christians face, I think, is coming to terms with the power relationships suggested by this vertical use of the sacred marriage motif, living, as we do, within a culture that emphases male-female equality, which is a very different situation to that which the writers of the Bible found themselves in. As part of this I think it is important to recognize that, within the terms of this vertical usage, all divinities (including goddesses) are effectively masculine and all people (including men) are effectively feminine. So, we are not talking about literal gender here, only metaphoric gender within the terms of one metaphor. Even the most patriarchal Christians generally recognise that. As the husband-wife metaphor is one of many metaphors that Christians have at their disposal for exploring divine-human relationships I do have to question whether we'd be better off bringing altenative metaphors to the foreground in our context. The parent-child relationship is an obvious alternative from scripture that is not nearly so intrinsically gender based. That is something I would throw up for further discussion.

Later I followed that up with these comments:

The marriage metaphor is just a finger pointing at the moon. What is being pointed to is more important than the metaphor itself, which is why I am suggesting that Christians need to explore alternative metaphors in an egalitarian age like ours where this one doesn't communicate so well, and why Pagans need to allow us the space to do so.

Your confusion here [this is something which was explicitly expressed by the person I was responding to] is a case in point. God as husband has great explanatory value in a patriarchal culture, where vertical understandings of marital relationships are taken for granted. God as husband is an utterly confusing metaphor in an egalitarian culture where they are not, where marital relationships are understood more horizontally. It leads to communication breakdown. It leads to unintended and incorrect messages about how we [Christians] understand God. It leads to conclusions that a monotheistic God needs a Goddess wife and so forth. The finger is no longer pointing at the moon.

Now, the confusion you are experiencing above [there was a question about whether Jesus was the bride and God was the groom] is a consequence of mixing metaphors. Taken separately they work. God as husband, Israel as wife. Christ as bridegroom, Church as bride. Church as temple, Christ as foundation. Christ as vine, Church as branches. Christ as head, Church as body. They all speak of living community and life source.

Where the confusion comes in is where you introduce the metaphor God as father, Christ as son. That speaks of an entirely different relationship, of God eternal relating to God incarnate, of YHWH above us relating to YHWH among us. The metaphors break down instantly when you try and mix them together like that.

Crucial to any attempt to relate these two sets of metaphors - the God-God metaphors and the Creator-Creation metaphors - is the introduction of a third set of metaphors. Being both fully divine and fully human, Jesus embodies the divine marriage within himself. Within the terms of this metaphor Christ is both husband and wife. Forget that for an instant, then forget the whole exercise of trying to integrate it all.

No doubt this will leave some of you with your heads spinning, so I'll return to my earlier suggestion: we need space to allow alternative non-gendered metaphors to come to the foreground when discussing Christian understandings of God. Personally I like "messianic community as temple, messiah as foundation". Temples generally only have one foundation. There is no compelling need to invoke a second "opposite-gender" one. The gender of the messiah is quite incidental within the terms of this metaphor. The messiah could be male or female without it changing the essential relationship. It allows much more space to talk of the God we know through Jesus in gender neutral ways. The other one I like, and which I suspect may work better in conversations with people like yourselves, is Christ as vine, community as branches.

Now, I am not sure how many of you follow that but my basic argument is that the sacred marriage is not the most helpful framework for explaining the Christian understanding of God. It is not intuitive for egalitarians, it is not where they're at, it is not Christianity 101. Understanding it requires a reasonable grasp of biblical context and Trinitarian theology. Being scriptural it's not something Christians should shy away from, but it’s a more advanced teaching that we should treat with more caution. Very interesting in light of the fact that many emergents seem to be blogging on Song of Songs at the moment.

So to return to the original question, is YHWH unbalanced without a wife? My answer is, YHWH is balanced within himself, YHWH's primary relationship is with his people, and if ancient marriage metaphors aren't helpful for seeing that, find another metaphor that is.

National Pagan Directory

If you want a snapshot of Paganism in Australia you may find it worthwhile checking out the National Pagan Directory.

And it seems there's also an Australian Pagan Business Directory out now. Given there's already a Christian Business Directory it makes me wonder what's next. A Muslim Business Directory? An Atheist Business Directory?

Ordo Templi Orientis

I was just wondering how many of you, if any, have heard of the O.T.O., or Ordo Templi Orientis to give it its full name?

I find the O.T.O. comes up relatively frequently in conversations with Pagan friends, though often at the butt of some joke about how obsessed they are with order in ritual (many of my Pagan friends are shamanically inclined, so you see they find the O.T.O. a little obsessive-compulsive). So I thought I'd see for myself, as best as I can. Anyway, I came across some videos on the Ordo Templi Orientis that some of you might find instructive.

Behind the Veil: The Gnostic Mass revealed

Thelema Talk with Frater Oz

If you'd like to read more, check out:

Ordo Templi Orientis Australia

U.S. Grand Lodge, Ordo Templi Orientis

Song: The Christians and the Pagans

Hat tip to John Morehead for this find, a song about Christians and Pagans and interfaith issues.

King James Bible - A Missional Translation?

Contextualization can be a funny business. I have never been a fan of the King James Bible. I find the King James translation arcane and, to be honest, hardly worthy of the word "translation".  You can imagine my surprise then (some time ago now) to learn from some Pagans friends that they actually prefer it. In retrospect I should have guessed. Ken Wilber didn't call Pagans retro-romanticists for nothing. But all the same I was surprised. And it raises so wider issues. What exactly is missional, in a pluralistic society like ours? Is mainstream church "missional", in the right context?

Australian Urban Witchcraft and Anglican Missionary Positions

Wild Hunt Blog has drawn attention to "a video excerpt featuring part-time Anglican Vicar Peter Owen Jones participating (skyclad) in an Australian 'Urban Witchcraft' ritual. This journey into 'darkness' is part of the ongoing BBC documentary series 'Around the World in 80 Faiths', where Owen Jones ventures into the rituals and rites of religions across the globe."

What are your thoughts? Having participated in a number of Pagan gatherings in Sydney myself, similarly as a Christian, you might understand why I took a particular interest in this video ... and to be honest I have a few questions with Peter's approach.

My missionary position: its one thing to attend a Pagan ritual as a passive observer, it's quite another to engage as an active participant. Unlike the vicar I am familiar with Pagan rituals and symbolism and while I agree they have nothing to do with Satanism they do have everything to do with Goddess worship, and last time I checked Christians are forbidden from raising their arms in worship towards anything or anyone other than the God revealed through Jesus.

By way of contrast, compare this video to the story of the alter to the Unknown God in Acts 17. There the apostle Paul similarly attended a Pagan community gathering and demonstrated keen interest in their Pagan alters, but there was no bowing down or raising arms to other gods and goddesses. Incarnation requires more than just immanent, fleshy engagement, it requires transcendant, holy commitment.

Pagan cynicism

I have been surfing the responses of the Pagan community to "Beyond the Burning Times" and have been disappointed by the number of Pagans who seem resistant to moving beyond them ... the burning times that is. Are they unaware of how their cynicism and resistance to dialogue actually helps angry fundamentalists?

Beyond the Burning Times - Pagans and Christians in Dialogue

Gerald McDermott has reviewed Beyond the Burning Times over at Sacred Tribes Journal, prompting a fresh round of discussions on Christian-Pagan dialogue over at Wild Hunt Blog and elsewhere within the Pagan community.

I am pleased to see this happening. Beyond the Burning Times is not the last word on Christian-Pagan dialogue by any means, there is ground left uncovered, but it goes well beyond anything else published to date, not least because the authors are genuinely respectful of each other's traditions without compromising on their own.

I should disclose I have a personal interest in this. I am a friend of Philip Johnson and a number of the other contributors (and actually get a mention in the acknowledgments) but if you are interested in Christian-Pagan dialogue, as I am, then I know you're going to want to read it.