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Paganism Persisting: A History of European Paganisms since Antiquity
Paganism in Europe was not defeated by it never went away. From the fourth century to the twentieth, against the background of a largely Christian culture, people repeatedly attempted to revive various kinds of pre-Christian religion – beliefs and practices that we have come to label as ‘paganism’.
Ancient paganism did not survive the Middle Ages in its original form; this book tells the story of the persistence of elements of paganism and the pagan idea through Europe’s pagan revivals, from Byzantine Greece to medieval Eastern Europe and Renaissance Florence, from eighteenth-century Norwich to revolutionary Paris and Edwardian England. While some of these revivals are well known and others are almost entirely forgotten, they reveal the rich diversity of interpretations of paganism – and how those interpretations have been conditioned by the surrounding culture.
Revived paganisms ranged from the austerely rational to the earnestly romantic, from the mystical and occult to the stridently nationalistic. Paganism Persisting reveals European paganism’s long afterlife, up to and including the emergence of modern paganism as a mass movement in the twentieth century. The authors are both historians of religion specializing, respectively, in the intellectual history of the idea of paganism and in the development of popular religion and folklore. This book has much to offer to anyone interested in European cultural history, the history of ideas and religious studies.
Ancient paganism did not survive the Middle Ages in its original form; this book tells the story of the persistence of elements of paganism and the pagan idea through Europe’s pagan revivals, from Byzantine Greece to medieval Eastern Europe and Renaissance Florence, from eighteenth-century Norwich to revolutionary Paris and Edwardian England. While some of these revivals are well known and others are almost entirely forgotten, they reveal the rich diversity of interpretations of paganism – and how those interpretations have been conditioned by the surrounding culture.
Revived paganisms ranged from the austerely rational to the earnestly romantic, from the mystical and occult to the stridently nationalistic. Paganism Persisting reveals European paganism’s long afterlife, up to and including the emergence of modern paganism as a mass movement in the twentieth century. The authors are both historians of religion specializing, respectively, in the intellectual history of the idea of paganism and in the development of popular religion and folklore. This book has much to offer to anyone interested in European cultural history, the history of ideas and religious studies.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 16, 2024
First off, to start with the reason this is four stars and not five: It's short. About 150 pages history, if we exclude the end notes, glossary etc. This isn't a grave sin, short books aren't necessarily bad and what we do get here is very useful, but there are definitely times where one wonders if there isn't more material to cover or where more depth might have been interesting.
That said, overall, the summary this book gives on the history of pagan revivals is both very interesting, and fills an important niche: I'm not aware of any other book, and certainly no up to date ones, that try to trace an overview of the history of engagement with paganism. Most either focus on ancient and medieval paganism, or on the 19th-20th century revival. So to get this overview is very valuable. It also includes information on what happens outside of just Western Europe which is often omitted.
I'd say that this book is required reading for anyone trying to get a handle on paganism as a concept, either as a historian or practitioner. The overview gives context for various ideas you still see in the modern day, as well as providing further reading through the footnotes for anything of interest. The model of paganism as something persisting (likened to dry seeds that can be brought to life again, or something frozen in ice and then tawed) is a very helpful model too, beyond the unhelpful binary of the wishful thinking of pagan survival and the overly condemnatory idea of modern paganism as an artificial concoction.
So very valuable. Just, y'know, make sure to get it on interlibrary loan considering the price
That said, overall, the summary this book gives on the history of pagan revivals is both very interesting, and fills an important niche: I'm not aware of any other book, and certainly no up to date ones, that try to trace an overview of the history of engagement with paganism. Most either focus on ancient and medieval paganism, or on the 19th-20th century revival. So to get this overview is very valuable. It also includes information on what happens outside of just Western Europe which is often omitted.
I'd say that this book is required reading for anyone trying to get a handle on paganism as a concept, either as a historian or practitioner. The overview gives context for various ideas you still see in the modern day, as well as providing further reading through the footnotes for anything of interest. The model of paganism as something persisting (likened to dry seeds that can be brought to life again, or something frozen in ice and then tawed) is a very helpful model too, beyond the unhelpful binary of the wishful thinking of pagan survival and the overly condemnatory idea of modern paganism as an artificial concoction.
So very valuable. Just, y'know, make sure to get it on interlibrary loan considering the price
November 30, 2024
This beautifully written book, packed with a wealth of information in a relatively slim volume, was a treasure trove of knowledge for me, even though I consider myself quite well-read on the topic. I found myself underlining and making copious notes as I read it.
When it comes to the topic of survivals, Paganism Persisting generally builds upon Ronald Hutton’s approach in his book Triumph of the Moon and in his subsequent works. When Triumph of the Moon was first published, I had read it and, of course, it was a massively significant book, especially at the time. I agree with Hutton’s theories, but I believe he overreaches in dismissing certain customs and possible remnants. I think folk memory can (and sometimes does) reach back to a very distant past, and many, especially rural people, have preserved customs here and there, although they often did so out of context and without any pagan significance.
I would have appreciated it if, for example, Northwestern Caucasians, such as the Circassians and Ossetians, had been mentioned in relation to the subsequent Christianizations and Islamizations. Interestingly, both of these waves were rather nominal until the 19th century, and we know that many Circassian communities continued to meet and worship in their sacred groves well into the 20th century. Both Circassians and Ossetians (but especially the latter) also have a national pagan revival.
However, I genuinely enjoyed the book’s approach, which takes a completely different perspective from any other works I’ve read before. Instead of focusing on survivals in a continuous sense, it emphasizes persistence. I agree with the main thesis. That said, in terms of the persistence of certain customs and folk belief, I wouldn’t dismiss every single example. Of course, this is my personal opinion, and if I were to write an academic book on the same topic, I would likely (have to?) adopt a similar approach.
When it comes to the topic of survivals, Paganism Persisting generally builds upon Ronald Hutton’s approach in his book Triumph of the Moon and in his subsequent works. When Triumph of the Moon was first published, I had read it and, of course, it was a massively significant book, especially at the time. I agree with Hutton’s theories, but I believe he overreaches in dismissing certain customs and possible remnants. I think folk memory can (and sometimes does) reach back to a very distant past, and many, especially rural people, have preserved customs here and there, although they often did so out of context and without any pagan significance.
I would have appreciated it if, for example, Northwestern Caucasians, such as the Circassians and Ossetians, had been mentioned in relation to the subsequent Christianizations and Islamizations. Interestingly, both of these waves were rather nominal until the 19th century, and we know that many Circassian communities continued to meet and worship in their sacred groves well into the 20th century. Both Circassians and Ossetians (but especially the latter) also have a national pagan revival.
However, I genuinely enjoyed the book’s approach, which takes a completely different perspective from any other works I’ve read before. Instead of focusing on survivals in a continuous sense, it emphasizes persistence. I agree with the main thesis. That said, in terms of the persistence of certain customs and folk belief, I wouldn’t dismiss every single example. Of course, this is my personal opinion, and if I were to write an academic book on the same topic, I would likely (have to?) adopt a similar approach.
September 26, 2025
Paganism Persisting is that rare work of history that feels both rigorous and alive. Douglas and Young replace tired arguments about secret survivals or modern inventions with a clear “persistence” model, showing how symbols, texts, and ritual grammars keep resurfacing through the centuries. The result reads like a guided tour through a living museum, where familiar statues quietly start to breathe.
A standout thread is the treatment of Gerald Gardner’s Wicca as a successful global iteration of recurring pagan themes. The authors trace its liturgy, symbolism, and organisational grammar to Apuleius, the Romantic reading of the Old God Pan, Masonic forms, and twentieth-century esotericism, which explains its enduring resonance even after the old survivalist narrative crumbled. The epilogue lands cleanly on the central claim: paganism recurs because its materials are always readily available in European culture, ready to be refashioned into a living religion.
They also shine when mapping Byzantine and Renaissance currents, especially in their portraits of Psellos and Plethon, and they write with unusual clarity about terminology. Keeping “pagan” as a cautious placeholder feels right, and their critique of “neopagan” invites fresher thinking about revival.
Some minor quibbles remain. The pushback against survivalism occasionally swings too hard, especially where practice and memory blur in ways that call for more ethnographic texture. Retiring “neopagan” entirely may flatten useful distinctions for comparative work. The panorama is vast, so some Baltic and Slavic revivals feel compressed and could have used a few more micro-histories.
Even so, this is an elegant, accessible study that reorients the conversation. It offers a conceptual map you can actually use, written with verve and care. Highly recommended.
A standout thread is the treatment of Gerald Gardner’s Wicca as a successful global iteration of recurring pagan themes. The authors trace its liturgy, symbolism, and organisational grammar to Apuleius, the Romantic reading of the Old God Pan, Masonic forms, and twentieth-century esotericism, which explains its enduring resonance even after the old survivalist narrative crumbled. The epilogue lands cleanly on the central claim: paganism recurs because its materials are always readily available in European culture, ready to be refashioned into a living religion.
They also shine when mapping Byzantine and Renaissance currents, especially in their portraits of Psellos and Plethon, and they write with unusual clarity about terminology. Keeping “pagan” as a cautious placeholder feels right, and their critique of “neopagan” invites fresher thinking about revival.
Some minor quibbles remain. The pushback against survivalism occasionally swings too hard, especially where practice and memory blur in ways that call for more ethnographic texture. Retiring “neopagan” entirely may flatten useful distinctions for comparative work. The panorama is vast, so some Baltic and Slavic revivals feel compressed and could have used a few more micro-histories.
Even so, this is an elegant, accessible study that reorients the conversation. It offers a conceptual map you can actually use, written with verve and care. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews