Aloha,
>On 1/19/2006 at 11:44 AM janet ifimust wrote:
>A friend is looking for any academic work on Greek reconstructions of
>ancient rites - Greek reconstructionalist Paganism, etc. There is plenty
>of practice available on line ("sane Greek recons" and so on) but has
>there been any academic work on it?
I was thinking about this just the other day in regard to the thread on
the non-academic use of academic resources. Academics from a range of
disciplines, including Classicists, do imaginative reconstructions of
events, customs, festivals, rituals, magical undertakings, and such.
So in a sense, a good deal of Classics resources includes reconstructions.
What may distinguish academic reconstructions from non-academic ones
is access to closely-held material, locales, or both; the theoretical or
purposive aims of the reconstruction; and perhaps the thoroughness of
a review of all available resources. There may be, of course, other
differences, such as imaginative reconstruction vs. actual performance.
Of the things I listed, I think that the aim is likely most important. Non-
academic reconstructionists are probably looking for experiences. Academic
reconstructionists are probably looking for interpretive insights. They
don't
want to perform ancient Greek religious rites. They want to understand
them.
Now I realize that the distinction I've proposed is not as hard and fast as
it reads. Reconstructions of ancient Greek religious rites may take place
in
academic contexts in order to gain experiences. As well as to advance
understanding. But I do not think that those reconstructions sustain
the core religio-magical aims of the non-academic reconstructionists.
I think that, in part, academic (sub)culture tends to be more
institutionally
skeptical of religio-magical enthusiasm, and of *going native.*
Nonetheless,
academic reconstructions, such as those from Classicists, certainly inform
non-academic religious reconstructionists.
Musing The Oracle Of Delphi, The Oracle Of State U., The Oracle Of
The Central Valley! Rose,
Pitch
cautious around volcanic gases
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