Sunday 23 October 2016

My Religious Studies Project Podcast and the ensuing debates

Back in June this year, Dr. Damon Lycourinos interviewed me for a podcast that has just appeared on the website of the Religious Studies Project (RSP), a fantastic site that brings together insights from a wide range of scholars studying religion. In this podcast, I offer “A Critical Introduction to the History, Beliefs, and Practices of Wiccans,” a new religious movement to which I have devoted a significant amount of scholarly attention over the past decade (and on the subject of which I have published a range of research articles and a recent book). The podcast is freely accessible and downloadable here, so I hope that you enjoy it!

The RSP has also published two written responses to my podcast interview, one from the independent scholar Race Mochridhe (here) and the other from the Reverend Dr. Patricia ‘Iolana (here). Mochridhe is a Traditionalist and ‘Iolana a Pagan and thus the pair offer significant insights into my work from their own perspectives, which obviously differ from my own secular approach. Both commentators raise some interesting issues, although I also think that they have misunderstood my arguments and theoretical approach to some extent, so I have tried to set the record straight in the Comments section. Still, its great to see a debate developing.