Witchcraft and Magic Contemporary North America Edited by Helen A.
Berger Magic, always part of the occult underground in North
America, has experienced a resurgence since the 1960s. Although
most contemporary magical religions have come from abroad, they
have found fertile ground in which to develop in North America. Who
are today's believers in Witchcraft and how do they worship?
Alternative spiritual paths have increased the ranks of followers
dramatically, particularly among well-educated middle-class
individuals. "Witchcraft and Magic" conveys the richness of magical
religious experiences found in today's culture, covering the
continent of North America and the Caribbean. These original essays
survey current and historical issues pertinent to religions that
incorporate magical or occult beliefs and practices, and they
examine contemporary responses to these religions. The relationship
between Witchcraft and Neopaganism is explored, as is their
intersection with established groups practicing goddess worship.
Recent years have seen the growth in New Age magic and
Afro-Caribbean religions, and these developments are also addressed
in this volume. All the religions covered offer adherents an
alternative worldview and rituals that are aimed at helping
individuals redefine themselves and make their interactions with
the environment more empowered. Many modern occult religions share
an absence of dogma or central authority to determine orthodoxy,
and have become a contemporary experience embracing modern concerns
like feminism, environmentalism, civil rights, and gay rights.
Afro-Caribbean religions such as Santeria, Palo, and Curanderismo,
which do have a more developed dogma and authority structure, offer
their followers a religion steeped in African and Hispanic
traditions. Responses to the growth of magical religions have
varied, from acceptance to an unfounded concern about the growth of
a satanic underground. And, as magical religions have flourished,
increased interest has resulted in a growing commercialization,
with its threat of trivialization. Helen A. Berger is Professor of
Sociology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. 2005 216
pages 6 x 9 ISBN 978-0-8122-3877-8 Cloth $49.95s 32.50 ISBN
978-0-8122-1971-5 Paper $24.95s 16.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-0125-3 Ebook
$24.95s 16.50 World Rights Anthropology, Religion Short copy: In
original essays the book explores both religions that incorporate
magical or occult beliefs and practices and contemporary responses
to these religions in North America and the Caribbean.
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