Open Post on Folkish, Universalist, and Tribal Paganisms

[causticus]

On yesterday's Magic Monday post, there was a rather interesting discussion on the several "feuding" branches of today's Germanic pagan/polytheist community. Particularly the question on the merits of the frequent "racism" allegations flung at Folkish Heathens.

Here's the whole thread:
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/237888.html?thread=41766464#cmt41766464

My lengthily response here, with some follow-up replies:
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/237888.html?thread=41778240#cmt41778240

I figure I'll use this as an open post to continue the discussion, if anyone so desires to do so. I think there's three interesting sub-topics to be expanded on from that thread:

1. Inclusionary vs. Exclusionary approaches to contemporary polytheism/paganism.
2. The third "tribal" (Theodish) option that's an alternative to the Folkist/Universalist binary.
3. The very fascinating (IMHO) concept of a "Holy Guild" being a new way of terming a religious fellowship.

Of course, any other ideas tangentially related to the above thread is more than welcome! Thank you for not using profanity, namecalling/ad-homs, bad faith arguments, or other cheap troll behaviors.

Comments

[jprussell]

I agree with you and causticus that formal organizations bring a lot of trouble with them, and might be wholly pernicious, or at best necessary evils, most of all when it comes to spiritual matters. Also, implicit in your answer, and explicit in Causticus's replies, is the thought that "organizations" carry certain risks and complications in today's world that they might share with the past or the future - specific bureaucratic challenges, contending with certain political ideologies, and so forth. That's worth taking very seriously.

My one quibble, though, is that I can think of at least two (semi) spiritual movements I admire for whom formal organizations have played some part in their persistence and success (I'm leaving aside the elephant in the room of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, which maintained not only Christianity, but much of what we have left of classical culture through the last dark age). Those would be Revival Druidry and Free Masonry. In both cases, groves/lodges, and at some points, wider governing bodies have helped these movements to stick around longer than the lifetimes of those currently interested in them. Not the only way, of course (JMG has likely made more Druids single-handedly than AODA ever has), but I'm sure that it has helped sometimes, and maybe even more than the downsides harmed these movements.

The other strength (and weakness!) of more-or-less formal organizations is that they allow for discovery beyond "folks who know an existing member personally." If I'm a lonely rando Heathen, I can do a search online or look at local bulletin boards or whatever for groups that might welcome me, but it would be much harder for me to run into someone who happens to know that a handful of folks get together on the Holytides and have weekly Edda Study meetings. (This is, of course, a weakness, in so far as it also makes it easier for bad actors, bureaucrats, and so forth to find the group).