Neo-Paganism - Barriers and bridges - theological

Many neopagans work with an outdated view of the church and a caricature of Christianity. The Christian apologist must annunciate clearly the doctrines of the church and debunk the fables. Ideological barriers can, in the main, be broken down; most theological barriers are insurmountable. The gospel is the great stumbling block. The apologist must ensure that if pagans reject Christianity it is because of the gospel and no human stumbling block. We note a few non-negotiables.

Jesus - the only way

Clearly, polytheism and monotheism are mutually exclusive. Fiona Horne, Australia’s most famous witch, `digs Jesus’,[21] but neopagans will not accept the exclusive claims of Christ. Muchpain is involved as we see syncretism rise to new levels. Some pagans who dance outside to the light of the moon, praising the goddess in her aspect of Diana, `see and feel no contradiction to going inside and lighting candles to Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God, the next Day’.[22]

The immanence of God

Pagan literature often comes up with the view that polytheism ruled most of the world for thousands of years until Judeo- Christian thought `introduced the concept of a single, all powerful and external, transcendent male god’.[23] Obviously, what is presented is nothing like the biblical deity. Apologists need to present the biblical God as one without human gender, who created both male and female in the divine image. We need to present God’s ‘maternal’ qualities,[24] likewise the immanence of God. God shares our flesh, becomes `God with us’ and suffers. This God comes to us corporeally in worship! There is nothing more immanent than the consumption of Christ’s body and blood.

Original Sin

That Christian-pagan dialogue must come very quickly to the doctrine of original sin can be seen from a response from Essa:

No indigenous tribe has conceived so grotesque an idea as the assumption that man was born with a hereditary stain upon him and that this stain, for which he was not personally responsible, was to be atoned for by the death of another. Personally, I find it deeply offensive to be told that your god’s son died for my sins. I hold no sense of ‘original sin’, and feel quite strongly that your church should not teach such esoteric, concepts to children. (personal email, 2/9/01)

Christian-pagan dialogue may stalemate at this point. However, we can assist dialogue by not arrogantly dismissing the pagan world view in the belief that Christianity holds the obvious, universal, irrefutable truth. Craig Hawkins, a Christian professor, measures pagan teaching with Christian teaching and concludes, among other things, that neopaganism is illogical (1996: 163). This is fine if you believe that Christianity provides us with a logical world view. It is hard to see how the idea of a god nailed to a tree is logical in any sense of the word, so to critique neopaganism on logic is simply not logical! Logically, animism may have a stronger case.

The pagan world view ‘works’ just as well as the Christian world view. The church needs to understand how it does its theology: not by logic or by popular vote but by revelation of God. But the word of God is normative only for Christians; it is not a universally accepted document. If one does not believe the word of God, the claims of Christ have no bearing. Hawkins has, I believe, missed the point of dialogue.

Johnson asks us to do something different, to share in gentle humility the hope that is in us.

When Jesus came to earth his purpose was to make people right again with God. Perhaps we have spent too much time telling people they are wrong, we have lost sight of Jesus’ primary mission of enabling people to become right. Let us not bear false witness against our Wiccan neighbours by demonising them or ridiculing them as being irrational. The basic game plan of Jesus has always been about healing people and reconciling them with God. Instead of debunking or deconstructing Wicca, why not share the riches of Christ as the fulfillment of the quest? Wicca challenges us to have the love and integrity Jesus had.

Neo-Paganism: Barriers and bridges to dialogue
Neo-Paganism - Barriers and bridges - historial

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