Paganism Resource Guide

Paganism has been defined in many ways . . . both by people identifying with the label "Pagan" and by people outside of Earth-based traditions using "Pagan" as a label for the other. 

This history creates tension and complexity around which spiritual traditions are included (and which self-include) under Paganism. 

This Paganism Library Guide offers resources for graduate students and for faculty, predominantly regarding the self-identifying contemporary Pagan movement. Resources on Earth-based traditions globally are included in this Library Guide, in the spirit of inclusion with awareness of the severity of the violence of appropriation and recolonization.

Key Resources

Pomegranate Journal

American Academy of Religion Contemporary Pagan Studies

Introduction to Pagan Studies

The Wild Hunt

Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

Demographics and Histories

Pluralism Project’s Paganism page

“The Rise and Rise of Wicca” by Massimo Introvigne (broken link)

Traditions

World Religions and Spirituality Project Directory (see Paganism category)

A Polytheist Primer

Contemporary Paganism
by Graham Harvey
ISBN: 9780814735497
Publication Date: 1997-04-01
The Pagan tradition celebrates the physical nature of life on earth, blending science with spiritual folklore. Seasonal festivals are combined with the rediscovery of shamanic techniques and an emphasis on grounded empiricism.

Bringing Race to the Table
by Crystal Blanton (Editor); Taylor Ellwood (Editor); Brandy Williams (Editor)
ISBN: 1905713983
Publication Date: 2015-01-23
Bringing Race to the Table: Exploring Racism in the Pagan Community is an anthology which explores the topic of racism and how it shows up in the Pagan community, as well as what we can do to discuss it and bring it out in the open.

Voices from the Pagan Census
by Helen A. Berger; Evan A. Leach; Leigh S. Shaffer
ISBN: 1570034885
Publication Date: 2003-07-31
Voices from the Pagan Census provides insight into the expanding but largely unstudied religious movement of Neo-Paganism in the United States.

Drawing down the Moon
by Margot Adler
ISBN: 9780140195361
Publication Date: 1997-03-01
Explores the current Neopagan movement in the United States through discussions with various groups whose rituals are inspired by ancient deities, visions from science fiction, or witchcraft.

Paganism
by River Higginbotham; Joyce Higginbotham
ISBN: 9780738702223
Publication Date: 2002-07-08
A comprehensive guide to a growing religious movement If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study.

Pagan Theology
by Michael York
ISBN: 9780814797020
Publication Date: 2003-04-01
In Pagan Theology, Michael York situates Paganism--one of the fastest-growing spiritual orientations in the West--as a world religion.

Pagan and Earth-Centered Voices in Unitarian Universalism
by Jerrie Kishpaugh-Hildebrand
ISBN: 1558967958
Publication Date: 2017-05-01

The Earth Path
by Starhawk
ISBN: 0060000937
Publication Date: 2005-10-11
From the earliest times, respecting our interdependent relationship with nature has been the first step toward spirituality. Earth, air, fire, and water are the four elements worshiped in many indigenous cultures and celebrated in earth-based spiritualities such as Wicca. In The Earth Path, America's best-known witch offers readers a primer on how to open their eyes to the world around them, respect nature's delicate balance, and draw upon its tremendous powers. Filled with inspiring meditations, chants, and blessings, it offers healing for the spirit in a stressed world and helps readers find their own sources of strength and renewal.

People of the Earth
by Ellen Evert Hopman; Lawrence Bond
ISBN: 0892815590
Publication Date: 1995-10-01
An account of the origins of the modern pagan revival, which examines the influence of paganism on society - and society's influence on paganism. Focuses upon the issues of child-bearing, organized religion and politics.

United Pagans
A shared faith expression group at United Seminary, United Pagans seeks to facilitate mutual support and conversation between students who are under the broad umbrella of nominally Pagan traditions or approaches. "We have self-identified Heathens, Wiccans, Druids, and, of course, Pagans among our known numbers. We also foster a space for sharing ritual notes, ideas about chaplaincy, and interfaith engagement. And we welcome any United student who is Pagan-friendly/curious/adjacent. Sometimes, our Zoom meetings are just to chat. On occasion, the purpose is to gather in ritual." Read the Monday Morning for events.

Pagans of Color and Culture - Paganicon MN

Twin Cities Pagan Pride and Paganicon

Harmony Tribe's Sacred Harvest Festival
Held in early August each year in Atchingtan. Surrounded by its own woodland, and situated on a very private 40-acre site in Northern Minnesota, it is about 90 minutes north from the Twin Cities, and 90 minutes south of Duluth. Sacred Harvest Festival has developed a national reputation for a fun and family friendly event that develops a second family for festivants during its duration.

Earth House Project
Earth House Project is a tax-exempt, non-profit, volunteer community attempt to build a resource center in the Twin Cities area for people of all nature-reverent spiritual paths. ​Our long-term goal of building a Pan-Pagan Community Center will allow all of us to have permanent sacred space for ritual, be a beacon for newcomers in the community to find others to worship with, and will provide meeting rooms, office space, and other needed services to be decided upon by the community as a whole.

Upper Mississippi River Reclaiming

Minnesota Druids

TR2016 Contemporary Paganism
This UTS course surveys the history, practices, and denominations of the contemporary Pagan (Neo-Pagan) movement in the US. The course aims to support students venturing into interreligious work, Pagan ministries or Pagan academic studies, and ministries incorporating contemporary Paganism into other ecumenical settings (Unitarian Universalist or other inclusive traditions), as well as students who simply want to learn about Paganism as a world religion. The course encourages critical thinking regarding defining "Paganism" and invites challenges to the academic field of contemporary Pagan studies, such as regarding the "contemporary Pagan" versus "Neo-Pagan" debates.

Cherry Hill Seminary Facebook Page
Cherry Hill Seminary offers online weekly gatherings for exploration of spiritual topics (currently Sundays 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern, 9pm London time for 1 hour)

United Pagans of Color Facebook Community
The United Pagans of Color is a healing community for people of color and allies to come share their experiences with racism and participate in discussions of diversity, reclaiming our voices and our rightful place as part of the hidden community amongst the greater Pagan circle.

Parliament of the World’s Religions
Major interreligious world assembly, welcoming to Pagans

Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) is an organization dedicated to networking Pagan-identified Unitarian Universalists (UUs), educating people about Paganism, promoting interfaith dialogue, developing Pagan liturgies and theologies, and supporting Pagan-identified UU religious professionals.

Heathens Against Hate
Heathens Against Hate aims to bring the Heathen community together to educate both each other and non-Heathens on the differences between commonly-held beliefs and practices and its extremism. They promote inclusivity and dialogue that is in league with better communication between individuals, Heathen kindred, and between Heathen and non-Heathen organizations.

Commons of Modern Pagans and Spiritual Seekers
The Commons Of Modern Pagans And Spiritual Seekers fosters and sustains diverse spiritual and religious education, a shared space of communion and safety for all pagan experiences, beliefs, and practices, and provides avenues for spiritual and religious exploration.

Spirituality & the Earth - Cooperation Circle of the United Religions Initiative
Spirituality & the Earth: Linking People of the Earth Cooperation Circle (CC) fosters and facilitates communication and cooperation between all those who feel a spiritual connection with the Earth. CC members bring together those who follow indigenous, tribal, pagan, nature-based, and Earth-centered spiritualities; reach out to spiritual traditions and groups (especially indigenous and tribal) who have not been involved in the process before; share information and resources; and bring their combined wisdom to bear on the needs of the Earth and all livings beings. The group’s diversity includes: Christianity, Heathenism, Hinduism, Indigenous, interfaith, Judaism, Native American traditions, Taoism, Wicca, and spiritually-focused science. Their members come from four continents, in: Canada, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela (Regions: Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America). The CC operates by consensus.

Conference on Current Pagan Studies (annual)

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
ISBN: 0807057835
Publication Date: 2015-08-11
Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire.

Native American Religious Identity
by Jace Weaver (Editor)
ISBN: 1570751811
Publication Date: 1998-02-01
In this ground-breaking work, some of the best contemporary Native scholars and writers examine the issue of Native religious identity today. Because the traditional Native American view recognizes no sharp distinction between sacred and profane spheres of existence, Native cultures and religious traditions are in many ways synonymous and coextensive. This intimate relationship between culture and religion makes the question of religious identity a vital inquiry. Essays range from the scholarly to the intensely personal, including Christian, traditional, and “post-Christian” perspectives.

I Am Where I Come From
by Andrew Garrod (Editor); Robert Kilkenny (Editor); Melanie Benson Taylor (Editor); K. Tsianina Lomawaima (Foreword by)
ISBN: 1501706926
Publication Date: 2017-04-25
“The organizing principle for this anthology is the common Native American heritage of its authors; and yet that thread proves to be the most tenuous of all, as the experience of indigeneity differs radically for each of them. While many experience a centripetal pull toward a cohesive Indian experience, the indications throughout these essays lean toward a richer, more illustrative panorama of difference. What tends to bind them together are not cultural practices or spiritual attitudes per se, but rather circumstances that have no exclusive province in Indian country: that is, first and foremost, poverty, and its attendant symptoms of violence, substance abuse, and both physical and mental illness....”

Decolonizing Methodologies
by Linda Tuhiwai Smith
ISBN: 1786998130
Publication Date: 2021-06-03
This essential volume explores intersections of imperialism and research - specifically, the ways in which imperialism is embedded in disciplines of knowledge and tradition as “regimes of truth.” Concepts such as “discovery” and “claiming” are discussed and an argument presented that the decolonization of research methods will help to reclaim control over indigenous ways of knowing and being. Now in its eagerly awaited third edition, this bestselling book includes a co-written introduction features contributions from indigenous scholars on the book's continued relevance to current research. It also features a chapter with twenty-five indigenous projects and a collection of poetry.

Ecospirit: Religions and Philosophies of the Earth
by Laurel Kearns (Editor); Catherine Keller (Editor)
ISBN: 0823227464
Publication Date: 2007-06-15
With a fresh, transdisciplinary approach, Ecospirit probes the possibility of a green shift radical enough to permeate the ancient roots of our sensibility and the social sources of our practice. From new language for imagining the earth as a living ground to current constructions of nature in theology, science, and philosophy; from environmentalism's questioning of postmodern thought to a garden of green doctrines, rituals, and liturgies for contemporary religion, these original essays explore and expand our sense of how to proceed in the face of an ecological crisis that demands new thinking and acting. In the midst of planetary crisis, they activate imagination, humor, ritual, and hope.

Theology for Earth Community: A Field Guide
by Dieter T. Hessel (Editor)
ISBN: 1592443109
Publication Date: 2003-08-18

Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

Video: Field Guide for Aspiring Chaplains - Spring 21, Session 3 - Endorsement beyond Tradition
“How do I become a chaplain if my tradition doesn’t endorse? What if I’m not in a tradition?”

ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education

Directory of Accredited CPE Programs

Books

Inclusion in the American Military: A Force for Diversity
by David Rohall (Editor); Morten G. Ender (Editor, Contribution by); Michael D. Matthews (Editor, Contribution by)
ISBN: 9781498560849
Publication Date: 2017-08-01

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in the Twenty-First Century: An Introduction
by Wendy Cadge (Editor); Shelly Rambo (Editor)
ISBN: 1469667614
Publication Date: 2022-03-15
Wendy Cadge and Shelly Rambo demonstrate the urgent need, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to position the long history and practice of chaplaincy within the rapidly changing landscape of American religion and spirituality.

Circle Sanctuary*
Founded in 1974, Circle Sanctuary supports interfaith work, military ministries, and Lady Liberty League.

Covenant of the Goddess
“The Covenant of the Goddess, founded in 1975, is an advocacy organization that seeks to foster cooperation amongst Wiccans and Witches; to secure legal protection; to provide education through outreach and to nurture its members through dialog and community.”

EarthSpirit
“EarthSpirit is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1977, dedicated to the preservation and development of Earth-centered spirituality, culture and community; we particularly focus on the indigenous traditions of pre-Christian Europe, known collectively as paganism, which have survived in varying degrees to the present day.”

Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids
“The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids is a worldwide group of over thirty thousand members in fifty countries, dedicated to practising, teaching, and developing Druidry as a valuable and inspiring spirituality.”

Sacred Well Congregation*
Sacred Well Congregation is a Universalist, independent, non-evangelical Wiccan Church. SWC supports military open circles across the US and overseas.

The Troth
“The Troth’s mission is to educate, train, provide resources for, and otherwise promote the inclusive practice of linguistically Germanic, polytheistic religions.”

Unitarian Universalist Association*
Formed through a merger of two radical Christian groups (Unitarians and Universalists) in 19651, the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition is diverse and inclusive. Among their sources, Unitarian Universalists include: Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

* on VA ecclesiastical endorsement list

Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

Pagan Voices Book Group Curriculum (CUUPS)

Books

The Pagan Book of Living and Dying: Practical Rituals, Prayers, Blessings, and Meditations on Crossing Over
by Starhawk; M. Macha NightMare
ISBN: 0062515160
Publication Date: 1997-10-08

Singing the Living Tradition
ISBN: 1558962603
Publication Date: 1994-03-01
Hymnal of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Index of hymns and readings points readers to many earth-based ritual materials.

Handbook of Contemporary Paganism
by Murphy Pizza (Editor); James Lewis (Editor)
ISBN: 9789004163737
Publication Date: 2009-01-26
Contemporary Paganism is a movement that is still young and establishing its identity and place on the global religious landscape. The members of the movement are simultaneously growing, unifying, and maintaining its characteristic diversity of traditions, identities, and rituals.

Paganistan
by Murphy Pizza
ISBN: 1409442837
Publication Date: 2014-04-17
Paganistan - a moniker adapted by the Twin Cities Contemporary Pagan community - is the title of a history and ethnography of a regionally unique, urban, and vibrant community in Minnesota.

Paganism and Its Discontents: Enduring Problems of Racialized Identity
Edited by Nolli S. Emore and Jonathan M. Leader
ISBN: 1527558495

Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, and Modern Paganism
by Kathryn Rountree (Editor)

PDF: “Wanting to Be Indian: When Cultural Searching Turns into Cultural Theft”
by Myke Johnson

Constellated Ministry: A Guide for Those Serving Today’s Pagans
by Holli S. Emore
ISBN: 9781781799567
Publication Date: 2021-07-01
It is said that Pagan traditions are the fastest-growing religious group in America. Numbers are tricky to come by, but we know that contemporary Pagans report themselves as living in every American state, and in countries around the world.

Indigenous Archaeologies: A Reader on Decolonization
by Siobhan Hart (Editor); H. Martin Wobst (Editor); Margaret Bruchac (Editor)
ISBN: 9781598743722
Publication Date: 2010-08-31
This comprehensive reader on indigenous archaeology shows that collaboration has become a key part of archaeology and heritage practice worldwide. Collaborative projects and projects directed and conducted by indigenous peoples independently have become standard, community concerns are routinely addressed, and oral histories are commonly incorporated into research.

Introduction to Pagan Studies
by Barbara Jane Davy
ISBN: 9780759108196
Publication Date: 2006-10-27
Pagan Studies is maturing and moving beyond the context of new religious movements to situate itself in within of the study of world religions.