Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of
Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic

J 2017

Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic

VENCÁLEK, Matouš

Basic information

Original name

Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic

Authors

VENCÁLEK, Matouš (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Pomegranate: The International Journal Of Pagan Studies, Equinox, 2017, 1528-0268

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60304 Religious studies

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/17:00102380

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/pome.33834

UT WoS

000426997600005

Keywords in English

Neo-Paganism; Contemporary Paganism; Politics; Values; Czech Republic

Abstract

V originále

This article presents the results of a research inspired by Helen Berger’s Pagan Census, conducted among Czech Pagans. It explores the worldviews of Czech Pagans from different Pagan groups regarding the questions of spirituality (e.g. the beliefs about afterlife, reincarnation or magic), society and culture (e.g. LGBTQ+ rights, drugs or the status of women in society) and politics (e.g. regarding the market regulation, social welfare, as well as specific political party preferences). It focuses on the differences, as well as on the commonalities among various Pagan groups, as the Pagan movement is highly diversified and sprouts from several different sources: some groups have emerged from naturalizing and romanticizing tendencies and emphasize the sacredness of nature, worship, and respect for all of its creatures; while some groups have emerged from rather nationalistic tendencies and focus on the worship of the gods and ancestors with a strong emphasis on ethnic background. The results show that the vast majority of Czech Pagans believe in some sort of afterlife and more than a half of them believe in reincarnation. The vast majority also believe in magic and nearly a half of them practise it. While there are little differences between various Pagan groups on the left-right economic scale, as they all seem to be mostly centrist or slightly left of center, adherents of reconstructionist or ethnic Pagan groups tend to hold more conservative positions on the socio-cultural scale than the adherents of revivalist or eclectic Pagan groups.

Links

MUNI/A/0873/2016, interní kód MU

Name: Internacionalizace výzkumu v religionistice (Acronym: INTERVYR)

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

VENCÁLEK, Matouš. Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic. Pomegranate: The International Journal Of Pagan Studies. Equinox, 2017, vol. 19, No 2, p. 233-250. ISSN 1528-0268. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1558/pome.33834.

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   author = {Vencálek, Matouš},
   article_number = {2},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/pome.33834},
   keywords = {Neo-Paganism; Contemporary Paganism; Politics; Values; Czech Republic},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1528-0268},
   journal = {Pomegranate: The International Journal Of Pagan Studies},
   title = {Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic},
   url = {https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/POM/article/view/33834},
   volume = {19},
   year = {2017}
}

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KW  - Neo-Paganism
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L2  - https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/POM/article/view/33834
N2  - This article presents the results of a research inspired by Helen Berger’s Pagan Census, conducted among Czech Pagans. It explores the worldviews of Czech Pagans from different Pagan groups regarding the questions of spirituality (e.g. the beliefs about afterlife, reincarnation or magic), society and culture (e.g. LGBTQ+ rights, drugs or the status of women in society) and politics (e.g. regarding the market regulation, social welfare, as well as specific political party preferences). It focuses on the differences, as well as on the commonalities among various Pagan groups, as the Pagan movement is highly diversified and sprouts from several different sources: some groups have emerged from naturalizing and romanticizing tendencies and emphasize the sacredness of nature, worship, and respect for all of its creatures; while some groups have emerged from rather nationalistic tendencies and focus on the worship of the gods and ancestors with a strong emphasis on ethnic background. The results show that the vast majority of Czech Pagans believe in some sort of afterlife and more than a half of them believe in reincarnation. The vast majority also believe in magic and nearly a half of them practise it. While there are little differences between various Pagan groups on the left-right economic scale, as they all seem to be mostly centrist or slightly left of center, adherents of reconstructionist or ethnic Pagan groups tend to hold more conservative positions on the socio-cultural scale than the adherents of revivalist or eclectic Pagan groups.
ER  -

VENCÁLEK, Matouš. Religious, Socio-cultural and Political Worldviews of Contemporary Pagans in the Czech Republic. \textit{Pomegranate: The International Journal Of Pagan Studies}. Equinox, 2017, vol.~19, No~2, p.~233-250. ISSN~1528-0268. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1558/pome.33834.

Detailed Information on Publication Record