A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States

Studies in Comparative Religion

by Helen A. Berger

A Community of Witches explores the beliefs and practices of Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft - generally known to scholars and practitioners as Wicca. While the words "magic, " "witchcraft, " and "paganism" evoke images of the distant past and remote cultures, this book shows that Wicca has emerged as part of a new religious movement that reflects the era in which it developed. Imported to the United States in the late 1960s from the United Kingdom, the religion absorbed into its basic fabric the social concern of the time: feminism, environmentalism, self-development, alternative spirituality, and mistrust of authority. Helen A. Berger's ten-year participant observation study of Neo-Pagans and Witches on the eastern seaboard of the United States and her collaboration on a national survey of Neo-Pagans form the basis for exploring the practices, structures, and transformation of this nascent religion. Responding to scholars who suggest that Neo-Paganism is merely a pseudoreligion or a cultural movement because it lacks central authority and clear boundaries, Berger contends that Neo-Paganism has many of the characteristics that one would expect of a religion born in late modernity: the appropriation of rituals from other cultures, a view of the universe as a cosmic whole, an emphasis on creating and re-creating the self, an intertwining of the personal and the political, and a certain playfulness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Religion, Anthropology, Wicca

148 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. My religious studies skills are a bit rusty, not having seen much use since college, so luckily it's relatively layperson-friendly.
In the nineties, Berger spent time with Wiccan and Pagan covens and groups over the period of several years, and it is from her observations of this diverse and fast-growing community that she draws her conclusions. The book was published 17 years ago, so it's enlightening to look at Wicca and Paganism today vs. 1999 in order to track growth in the key areas of the successful integration and socialization of children into their parents' religious practices; development of an organizational structure; and accommodation between Wicca and society. The fulfillment of these three components determine whether or not a newly established religion has a chance at long-term viability.
There is definitely a larger body of literature and resources for educating children about Paganism, and a considerable number of the children of Pagans who were brought up during the nineties have
left the nest and continue to practice the religion they inherited from their parents. It would be interesting to see the results of a new census that addressed this trait specifically.
As far as organizational structures go, it's still like herding cats. We do have institutions like Cherry Hill Seminary in place for the training of clergy, however, which tends to impose (and I use the term in a light sense) a form of organization through the routinization of formal training which is then passed on to the community.
Paganism is still a minority religion, but one that has been successful in carving out a viable niche for its philosophies and practices. It thoughtfully and often sympathetically addresses concerns that have been ignored or glossed over by more mainstream religions - women's equality, nontraditional expressions of sexuality, and ecological issues to name a few of the biggies- and continues to attract converts.
Only time will tell.

[Leah Markum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. The author functions as an anthropologist and "joins" Wiccan convens to learn not so much their religious beliefs but their perspectives as a people. This is a good introduction for those who don't digest religious content well but are curious about Wicca in the modern world.

Some people are attracted to Wicca because of pantheistic (all is one, one is all i.e. the universe equals divinity, divinity equals the universe) nature reverence. However, many who join Wicca feel rejected by the mainstream Abrahamic religions and want a community that accepts their sexuality, how they prioritize their values, and their world view. Wicca, among a reverence for nature, encourages a positive attitude and anything goes as long as one is respectful. In fact, integrity and self-responsibility is expected. If one makes a mistake that person must acknowledge it instead of blaming or passively expecting a deity to excuse them. Yet on the other hand most of life's events are celebrated, the positive and the negative. Likely it is this mentality that makes Wicca so welcoming for the strays of mainstream society.

Many Wiccans are highly educated and want a spiritual community but don't relate to more institutional religions or don't believe in a deity. That's probably my favorite highlight in the book: some Wiccans can believe in a goddess and god, while others can see the goddess and god as personifications for nature. One can have a scientific mind and still associate a feeling of spirituality with the world. Pretty neat!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very academic but still interesting. Didn’t have the information I was really looking for though