Suzanne Owen | Leeds Trinity University (original) (raw)
Books by Suzanne Owen
"Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. ... more "Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates.
"This important volume collects together these key debates from the last 25 years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines ‘New Age’ practices based on Native American spirituality.
"The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi’Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of ‘protocols’, rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality."
The file contains chapter one, the introduction.
Papers by Suzanne Owen
International Journal for the Study of New Religions, 2018
This article asks if “indigenous,” associated as it is with “colonized peoples,” is being employe... more This article asks if “indigenous,” associated as it is with “colonized peoples,” is being employed strategically by Druids in Britain to support cultural or political aims. Prominent Druids make various claims to indigeneity, presenting Druidry as the pre-Christian religion of the British Isles and emphasizing that it originated there. By “religion” it also assumes Druidry was a culture equal to if not superior to Christianity—similar to views of antiquarians in earlier centuries who idealized a pre-Christian British culture as equal to that of ancient Greece. Although British Druids refute the nationalist tag, and make efforts to root out those tendencies, it can be argued that it is a love of the land rather than the country per se that drives indigeneity discourses in British Druidry.
https://journals.equinoxpub.com/IJSNR/issue/view/2719
This also appears as a chapter in a book:
Indigenizing Movements in Europe, edited by Graham Harvey (Equinox 2020).
https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/indigenising/
Implicit Religion 21(3): 271-284, 2019
Charity registration is one means by which a group can claim religious status in England and Wale... more Charity registration is one means by which a group can claim religious status in England and Wales. As groups must also prove their "religious" activities are for public benefit, it domesticates religion by forcing groups to conform to liberal Protestant Christian values. Examining how groups negotiate criteria for religion as defined by public bodies highlights both the problems with defining religion and how the state marginalizes groups that do not fit their criteria by denying them access to certain benefits. The problem for Pagans is they generally set out to challenge norms, not conform to them, which leaves them in a quandary when seeking registration as a religion. When the Pagan Federation failed in its applications to register as a "religion," it was because it did not conform to the Protestant Christian model informing how religion is defined in Charity Law.
A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by commi... more A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by committee members of the British Association for the Study of Religions, including Dr Stephen Gregg (Wolverhampton), Dr Christopher Cotter (Edinburgh), Dr Suzanne Owen (Leeds Trinity), Dr David Robertson (The Open University) and Dr Steven Sutcliffe (Edinburgh). A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by committee members of the British Association for the Study of Religions, including Dr Stephen Gregg (Wolverhampton), Dr Christopher Cotter (Edinburgh), Dr Suzanne Owen (Leeds Trinity), Dr David Robertson (The Open University) and Dr Steven Sutcliffe (Edinburgh).
Issues discussed include why RS continues to be a “muted voice” in public discourse; minority religion and the law; podcasting; and new audiences for RS.
This was presented as part of the University of Edinburgh’s Religious Studies seminar series.
![Research paper thumbnail of Defining Pagan Religions through Charity Law [conference paper]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/41071345/thumbnails/1.jpg)
]([The basis of this paper has now been published as an article: S. Owen (2019) "The Problem with P... more [The basis of this paper has now been published as an article: S. Owen (2019) "The Problem with Paganism in Charity Registration in England and Wales," Implicit Religion 21(3): 271-284]
In 2010, the Druid Network successfully registered as a charity in England and Wales for the advancement of religion after a lengthy negotiation over the definition of religion, such as whether 'nature' could be viewed as a 'supreme being'. The Pagan Federation, on the other hand, failed two years later to convince the Charity Commission that Paganism had coherent beliefs. Paganism’s marginal status in the UK is thus maintained by the failure to define Pagan ‘religion’ through Charity Law. This paper will compare the rhetorical strategies by the Druid Network and the Pagan Federation, the impact this had in the success or failure to gain registration as a religious charity and, as groups must also prove their ‘religious’ activities are for public benefit, the implications of this process for domesticating religion in the UK.
Journal of the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions 1/2 (2015), 119-139
This article aims to investigate contemporary cultural representations of the Beothuk Indians in ... more This article aims to investigate contemporary cultural representations of the Beothuk Indians in art, literature and museum displays in Newfoundland, Canada, focussing on ways these reimagine the past for the present, offering perspectives on contested histories, such as the circumstances leading to the demise of the Beothuk. Wiped out through the impact of colonialism, the Beothuk are the ‘absent other’ who continue to be remembered and made present through the creative arts, largely at the expense of other indigenous groups on the island. Rather than focussing on the ‘non-absent past’, according to Polish scholar Ewa Domańska, ‘instead we turn to a past that is somehow still present, that will not go away or, rather, that of which we cannot rid ourselves’ (2006, 346). Depictions of the last Beothuk are part of a cultural remembering where guilt and reconciliation are played out through media of the imagination.
This journal edition (see link below) includes articles based on papers presented in Belfast on the theme of 'religion and memory' for the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions.
This paper is a response to Patrick Hart's article 'Theory, method, and madness in religious stud... more This paper is a response to Patrick Hart's article 'Theory, method, and madness in religious studies' and further interrogates the terms 'theory' and 'method', the relationship between them, and their application to the study of religion, particularly at a pedagogical level, where there is some confusion about what is referred to by these terms. This paper argues that theory and method should be included explicitly in religious studies programs and research to show how scholarship has been produced.
Response to Jacqueline Gresham’s ‘Theses on Theory’
Religions 2014, 5(4), 1037-1049
[follow link to view article: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/4/1037\] This article reviews Nati... more [follow link to view article: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/4/1037]
This article reviews Native American ritual practices, frameworks and key concepts employed by several substance abuse treatments centres in the U.S. and Canada. It also examines the way Alcoholics Anonymous’ Twelve Step programme has been modified to attract and serve the needs of Native Americans and First Nations and its potential impact on the ritual practices. Native concepts of wellbeing are highlighted and linked to the idea of living in “balance”.
This article discusses some of the religious, environmentalist and ethical views underlying the d... more This article discusses some of the religious, environmentalist and ethical views underlying the disputes between indigenous and western interests in Ecuador and the adaptation of shamanism within that context. Oil companies are entering indigenous territories in the Amazon Basin before they have obtained permission and leaving behind poisoned rivers and devastated rain forest. By focussing on one indigenous people, the Cofán, who follow a traditional way of life that can be termed ‘shamanistic’, this article explores how petroleum – oil – has been incorporated into an indigenous world-view as the blood of the coancoan, guardians of the rain forest, and combined with an environmentalist ethic. In an interview with Fidel Aguinda, a Cofán leader, the term ‘shamanism’ is discussed as it is understood in an Amazonian context, including the role and status of the shaman (na’su) among the Cofán.
"The teaching of religions has long relied on the World Religions paradigm to guide curricula thr... more "The teaching of religions has long relied on the World Religions paradigm to guide curricula throughout education, which has led to a widening gap, on the one hand, between what is taught in schools and in universities and, on the other, between research and teaching. While the World Religions paradigm has allowed
the inclusion of non-Christian religions in education, it has also remodelled them according to liberal Western Christian values, influencing the conception of ‘religion’ beyond educational contexts. This article argues that it is time to discard the World Religions paradigm altogether in favour of a more critical approach to the study of religion, as a constructed category, as well as a study of religions in their contexts."
The struggle of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq for recognition as First Nations has raised questions with... more The struggle of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq for recognition as First Nations has raised questions within their communities about what it means to be Mi’kmaq and how they differ from others. The Conne River Mi’kmaq powwow began in 1996 as a venue for expressing their indigenous identity to outsiders, but also as a means of sharing ceremonies and instilling certain values within the community. Powwows have strict rules and boundaries based on the conceived ‘sacredness’ of specific areas and the powwow ground as a whole. How is ‘sacredness’ defined in these spaces and what values are being reinforced? In what ways are these boundaries maintained and transgressions discouraged? This paper will analyse the Conne River powwow as a ‘re/produced’ space for performing indigeneity.
![Research paper thumbnail of Indigenous Knowledge and its Intertribal Transmission: sources of contemporary Mi'kmaq traditional practices [conference paper]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/3388041/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Talks by Suzanne Owen
A podcast from The Religious Studies Project with contributions from James L. Cox, Mark Jurgensme... more A podcast from The Religious Studies Project with contributions from James L. Cox, Mark Jurgensmeyer, Peter Beyer, Craig Martin, Suzanne Owen and Steven Sutcliffe.
Contemporary Druidry often presents itself as the native spirituality of the British Isles. Howev... more Contemporary Druidry often presents itself as the native spirituality of the British Isles. However, there is not one form of Druidry and there are also significant numbers of Christian and atheist Druids as well as those that combine Druidry with Wiccan or other perspectives and practices. From international organisations to local ‘groves’, there are diverse types of Druid groups, as well as lone practitioners. Chris and David are joined this week by Dr Suzanne Owen to talk in-depth about this fascinating subject, and its implications for wider understandings of the category ‘religion’.
To access, follow the Religious Studies Project weblink above.
Blog posts by Suzanne Owen
In the study of indigenous religions, one of the issues a scholar faces is the gap between self-r... more In the study of indigenous religions, one of the issues a scholar faces is the gap between self-representation and scholarly classification, particularly with regard to the concept of ‘religion’. So how does the scholar of religion approach this issue? Shamanism is an interesting example, one which illustrates this problem, as this term was also coined by scholars, derived from one group in Siberia and applied cross-culturally to others, which then influenced diverse peoples to adopt the term when describing their traditions to outsiders, often in distinction to what is regarded as ‘religion’.
Chapters in edited volumes by Suzanne Owen
After World Religions: Reconstructing Religious Studies, 2016
The term ‘sacred’ broadens research to include groups and activities that cut across boundaries m... more The term ‘sacred’ broadens research to include groups and activities that cut across boundaries maintained by the WRP. Also, while some reject the term ‘religion’ to describe what they do, they still regard certain things and places as ‘sacred’. The limitations of Durkheim’s and Eliade’s ‘sacred’ and ‘profane’ binary as an analytical framework become apparent when applied to cases where ‘religion’ is ambiguous, as an example from a Pagan festival shows. Despite this, a focus on ‘making sacred’ as a human activity that highlights a group’s interests is a useful alternative to the World Religions approach in Religious Studies. The chapter includes a case study of Beltane at Thornborough in Yorkshire.
Religion as a Category of Governance and Sovereignty, 2015
On 21 September 2010 the Druid Network was registered by the Charity Commission for England and W... more On 21 September 2010 the Druid Network was registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales as a charity for the advancement of religion for public benefit. The decision document explores in detail whether it is possible to consider the Druid Network as ‘religious’ according to the charity law definition of religion. This chapter examines the decision itself as an example of how the category of ‘religion’ functions in public classification and extends it to the analysis of its significance for the field of Druidry in Britain. By extending the analysis to Druids themselves and to the media response, we investigate how the category of ‘religion’ functions in regulating, controlling and enabling different agencies.
Indigenous Bodies: Reviewing, Relocating, Reclaiming, Nov 1, 2013
Chapter abstract: There are many ways to pray amongst Native American and First Nations, but cons... more Chapter abstract: There are many ways to pray amongst Native American and First Nations, but considered the most ‘powerful’ are those that involve an element of physical suffering that can be regarded as gifts to ‘spirit’ and understood in the context that when something is asked for – visions, healing, etc. – then something must be given in exchange in order to restore the balance and promote respectful relationships. Prayer with pain in a ceremonial context, linking the individual to community, transforms personal suffering into empowerment gained through a shared healing experience.
A post-print version is available in the University of Chester repository: http://hdl.handle.net/10034/552335
"Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. ... more "Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates.
"This important volume collects together these key debates from the last 25 years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines ‘New Age’ practices based on Native American spirituality.
"The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi’Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of ‘protocols’, rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality."
The file contains chapter one, the introduction.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions, 2018
This article asks if “indigenous,” associated as it is with “colonized peoples,” is being employe... more This article asks if “indigenous,” associated as it is with “colonized peoples,” is being employed strategically by Druids in Britain to support cultural or political aims. Prominent Druids make various claims to indigeneity, presenting Druidry as the pre-Christian religion of the British Isles and emphasizing that it originated there. By “religion” it also assumes Druidry was a culture equal to if not superior to Christianity—similar to views of antiquarians in earlier centuries who idealized a pre-Christian British culture as equal to that of ancient Greece. Although British Druids refute the nationalist tag, and make efforts to root out those tendencies, it can be argued that it is a love of the land rather than the country per se that drives indigeneity discourses in British Druidry.
https://journals.equinoxpub.com/IJSNR/issue/view/2719
This also appears as a chapter in a book:
Indigenizing Movements in Europe, edited by Graham Harvey (Equinox 2020).
https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/indigenising/
Implicit Religion 21(3): 271-284, 2019
Charity registration is one means by which a group can claim religious status in England and Wale... more Charity registration is one means by which a group can claim religious status in England and Wales. As groups must also prove their "religious" activities are for public benefit, it domesticates religion by forcing groups to conform to liberal Protestant Christian values. Examining how groups negotiate criteria for religion as defined by public bodies highlights both the problems with defining religion and how the state marginalizes groups that do not fit their criteria by denying them access to certain benefits. The problem for Pagans is they generally set out to challenge norms, not conform to them, which leaves them in a quandary when seeking registration as a religion. When the Pagan Federation failed in its applications to register as a "religion," it was because it did not conform to the Protestant Christian model informing how religion is defined in Charity Law.
A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by commi... more A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by committee members of the British Association for the Study of Religions, including Dr Stephen Gregg (Wolverhampton), Dr Christopher Cotter (Edinburgh), Dr Suzanne Owen (Leeds Trinity), Dr David Robertson (The Open University) and Dr Steven Sutcliffe (Edinburgh). A panel on the public impact and engagement of Religious Studies/Study of Religion/s led by committee members of the British Association for the Study of Religions, including Dr Stephen Gregg (Wolverhampton), Dr Christopher Cotter (Edinburgh), Dr Suzanne Owen (Leeds Trinity), Dr David Robertson (The Open University) and Dr Steven Sutcliffe (Edinburgh).
Issues discussed include why RS continues to be a “muted voice” in public discourse; minority religion and the law; podcasting; and new audiences for RS.
This was presented as part of the University of Edinburgh’s Religious Studies seminar series.
[The basis of this paper has now been published as an article: S. Owen (2019) "The Problem with P... more [The basis of this paper has now been published as an article: S. Owen (2019) "The Problem with Paganism in Charity Registration in England and Wales," Implicit Religion 21(3): 271-284]
In 2010, the Druid Network successfully registered as a charity in England and Wales for the advancement of religion after a lengthy negotiation over the definition of religion, such as whether 'nature' could be viewed as a 'supreme being'. The Pagan Federation, on the other hand, failed two years later to convince the Charity Commission that Paganism had coherent beliefs. Paganism’s marginal status in the UK is thus maintained by the failure to define Pagan ‘religion’ through Charity Law. This paper will compare the rhetorical strategies by the Druid Network and the Pagan Federation, the impact this had in the success or failure to gain registration as a religious charity and, as groups must also prove their ‘religious’ activities are for public benefit, the implications of this process for domesticating religion in the UK.
Journal of the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions 1/2 (2015), 119-139
This article aims to investigate contemporary cultural representations of the Beothuk Indians in ... more This article aims to investigate contemporary cultural representations of the Beothuk Indians in art, literature and museum displays in Newfoundland, Canada, focussing on ways these reimagine the past for the present, offering perspectives on contested histories, such as the circumstances leading to the demise of the Beothuk. Wiped out through the impact of colonialism, the Beothuk are the ‘absent other’ who continue to be remembered and made present through the creative arts, largely at the expense of other indigenous groups on the island. Rather than focussing on the ‘non-absent past’, according to Polish scholar Ewa Domańska, ‘instead we turn to a past that is somehow still present, that will not go away or, rather, that of which we cannot rid ourselves’ (2006, 346). Depictions of the last Beothuk are part of a cultural remembering where guilt and reconciliation are played out through media of the imagination.
This journal edition (see link below) includes articles based on papers presented in Belfast on the theme of 'religion and memory' for the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions.
This paper is a response to Patrick Hart's article 'Theory, method, and madness in religious stud... more This paper is a response to Patrick Hart's article 'Theory, method, and madness in religious studies' and further interrogates the terms 'theory' and 'method', the relationship between them, and their application to the study of religion, particularly at a pedagogical level, where there is some confusion about what is referred to by these terms. This paper argues that theory and method should be included explicitly in religious studies programs and research to show how scholarship has been produced.
Response to Jacqueline Gresham’s ‘Theses on Theory’
Religions 2014, 5(4), 1037-1049
[follow link to view article: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/4/1037\] This article reviews Nati... more [follow link to view article: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/4/1037]
This article reviews Native American ritual practices, frameworks and key concepts employed by several substance abuse treatments centres in the U.S. and Canada. It also examines the way Alcoholics Anonymous’ Twelve Step programme has been modified to attract and serve the needs of Native Americans and First Nations and its potential impact on the ritual practices. Native concepts of wellbeing are highlighted and linked to the idea of living in “balance”.
This article discusses some of the religious, environmentalist and ethical views underlying the d... more This article discusses some of the religious, environmentalist and ethical views underlying the disputes between indigenous and western interests in Ecuador and the adaptation of shamanism within that context. Oil companies are entering indigenous territories in the Amazon Basin before they have obtained permission and leaving behind poisoned rivers and devastated rain forest. By focussing on one indigenous people, the Cofán, who follow a traditional way of life that can be termed ‘shamanistic’, this article explores how petroleum – oil – has been incorporated into an indigenous world-view as the blood of the coancoan, guardians of the rain forest, and combined with an environmentalist ethic. In an interview with Fidel Aguinda, a Cofán leader, the term ‘shamanism’ is discussed as it is understood in an Amazonian context, including the role and status of the shaman (na’su) among the Cofán.
"The teaching of religions has long relied on the World Religions paradigm to guide curricula thr... more "The teaching of religions has long relied on the World Religions paradigm to guide curricula throughout education, which has led to a widening gap, on the one hand, between what is taught in schools and in universities and, on the other, between research and teaching. While the World Religions paradigm has allowed
the inclusion of non-Christian religions in education, it has also remodelled them according to liberal Western Christian values, influencing the conception of ‘religion’ beyond educational contexts. This article argues that it is time to discard the World Religions paradigm altogether in favour of a more critical approach to the study of religion, as a constructed category, as well as a study of religions in their contexts."
The struggle of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq for recognition as First Nations has raised questions with... more The struggle of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq for recognition as First Nations has raised questions within their communities about what it means to be Mi’kmaq and how they differ from others. The Conne River Mi’kmaq powwow began in 1996 as a venue for expressing their indigenous identity to outsiders, but also as a means of sharing ceremonies and instilling certain values within the community. Powwows have strict rules and boundaries based on the conceived ‘sacredness’ of specific areas and the powwow ground as a whole. How is ‘sacredness’ defined in these spaces and what values are being reinforced? In what ways are these boundaries maintained and transgressions discouraged? This paper will analyse the Conne River powwow as a ‘re/produced’ space for performing indigeneity.
A podcast from The Religious Studies Project with contributions from James L. Cox, Mark Jurgensme... more A podcast from The Religious Studies Project with contributions from James L. Cox, Mark Jurgensmeyer, Peter Beyer, Craig Martin, Suzanne Owen and Steven Sutcliffe.
Contemporary Druidry often presents itself as the native spirituality of the British Isles. Howev... more Contemporary Druidry often presents itself as the native spirituality of the British Isles. However, there is not one form of Druidry and there are also significant numbers of Christian and atheist Druids as well as those that combine Druidry with Wiccan or other perspectives and practices. From international organisations to local ‘groves’, there are diverse types of Druid groups, as well as lone practitioners. Chris and David are joined this week by Dr Suzanne Owen to talk in-depth about this fascinating subject, and its implications for wider understandings of the category ‘religion’.
To access, follow the Religious Studies Project weblink above.
In the study of indigenous religions, one of the issues a scholar faces is the gap between self-r... more In the study of indigenous religions, one of the issues a scholar faces is the gap between self-representation and scholarly classification, particularly with regard to the concept of ‘religion’. So how does the scholar of religion approach this issue? Shamanism is an interesting example, one which illustrates this problem, as this term was also coined by scholars, derived from one group in Siberia and applied cross-culturally to others, which then influenced diverse peoples to adopt the term when describing their traditions to outsiders, often in distinction to what is regarded as ‘religion’.
After World Religions: Reconstructing Religious Studies, 2016
The term ‘sacred’ broadens research to include groups and activities that cut across boundaries m... more The term ‘sacred’ broadens research to include groups and activities that cut across boundaries maintained by the WRP. Also, while some reject the term ‘religion’ to describe what they do, they still regard certain things and places as ‘sacred’. The limitations of Durkheim’s and Eliade’s ‘sacred’ and ‘profane’ binary as an analytical framework become apparent when applied to cases where ‘religion’ is ambiguous, as an example from a Pagan festival shows. Despite this, a focus on ‘making sacred’ as a human activity that highlights a group’s interests is a useful alternative to the World Religions approach in Religious Studies. The chapter includes a case study of Beltane at Thornborough in Yorkshire.
Religion as a Category of Governance and Sovereignty, 2015
On 21 September 2010 the Druid Network was registered by the Charity Commission for England and W... more On 21 September 2010 the Druid Network was registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales as a charity for the advancement of religion for public benefit. The decision document explores in detail whether it is possible to consider the Druid Network as ‘religious’ according to the charity law definition of religion. This chapter examines the decision itself as an example of how the category of ‘religion’ functions in public classification and extends it to the analysis of its significance for the field of Druidry in Britain. By extending the analysis to Druids themselves and to the media response, we investigate how the category of ‘religion’ functions in regulating, controlling and enabling different agencies.
Indigenous Bodies: Reviewing, Relocating, Reclaiming, Nov 1, 2013
Chapter abstract: There are many ways to pray amongst Native American and First Nations, but cons... more Chapter abstract: There are many ways to pray amongst Native American and First Nations, but considered the most ‘powerful’ are those that involve an element of physical suffering that can be regarded as gifts to ‘spirit’ and understood in the context that when something is asked for – visions, healing, etc. – then something must be given in exchange in order to restore the balance and promote respectful relationships. Prayer with pain in a ceremonial context, linking the individual to community, transforms personal suffering into empowerment gained through a shared healing experience.
A post-print version is available in the University of Chester repository: http://hdl.handle.net/10034/552335
Critical Reflections on Indigenous Religions, Aug 2013
Chapter in an edited volume. Book abstract: The study of indigenous religions has become an impor... more Chapter in an edited volume. Book abstract: The study of indigenous religions has become an important academic field, particularly since the religious practices of indigenous peoples are being transformed by forces of globalization and transcontinental migration. This book will further our understanding of indigenous religions by first considering key methodological issues related to defining and contextualizing the religious practices of indigenous societies, both historically and in socio-cultural situations. Two further sections of the book analyse cases derived from European contexts, which are often overlooked in discussion of indigenous religions, and in two traditional areas of study: South America and Africa.
Suzanne Owen and Angela Puca (eds), Pagan Religions in Five Minutes, Equinox, 2023 forthcoming.
Modern Pagans are people who have consciously decided to revive the worship of ancient and mediev... more Modern Pagans are people who have consciously decided to revive the worship of ancient and medieval deities which at some point in history had died out, for example ancient Egyptian gods or medieval Scandinavian gods.
Modern Pagans engage with the reinvention of an imagined past, though there are differing attitudes as to how creative or forensically grounded in history and archaeology these reinventions can be. There are also Pagans who engage with the invention of new deities and religious forms, often based on popular fictions, including novels and films. I would argue that this process is not so different from animating an ancient source text or illustration on the wall of an archaeological site.
Indigenous Religious Traditions, 2023
On 12 October 2022, a seminar was held in the University of Edinburgh to review, discuss and crit... more On 12 October 2022, a seminar was held in the University of Edinburgh to review, discuss and critique James L. Cox's book, A Phenomenology of Indigenous Religions: Theory and Practice (2022, Bloomsbury). This article contains revised papers from that event as prepared by the speakers, including Cox's introduction and response to the presentations. The papers explore various themes, comprising a consideration of Religious Studies