American Heathens: The Politics of Identity in a Pagan Religious Movement

by Jennifer Snook

American Heathens is the first in-depth ethnographic study about the largely misunderstood practice of American Heathenry (Germanic Paganism). Jennifer Snook—who has been Pagan since her early teens and a Heathen since eighteen—traces the development and trajectory of Heathenry as a new religious movement in America, one in which all identities are political and all politics matter.

Snook explores the complexities of pagan reconstruction and racial, ethnic and gender identity in today’s divisive political climate. She considers the impact of social media on Heathen collectivities, and offers a glimpse of the world of Heathen meanings, rituals, and philosophy.

In American Heathens , Snook presents the stories and perspectives of modern practitioners in engaging detail. She treats Heathens as members of a religious movement, rather than simply a subculture reenacting myths and stories of enchantment. Her book shrewdly addresses how people construct ethnicity in a reconstructionist (historically-minded) faith system with no central authority.

Genres: Paganism, History, Sociology, Nonfiction, Religion

234 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2015

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful and well developed look at the subculture of American Heathens. I was initially disappointed because the culture that Snook describes is totally foreign to my own experience, but the book itself was 6 years old when I read it and my actual experience with the broader heathen community has been somewhat limited. Still a good read to see the historical roots of the movement and understand how it has developed in the US.

[Justin Sisk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Snook, in my opinion, did a fabulous job separating her personal beliefs from her ethnographic work. Being a practicing Heathen themselves, I can only imagine the focus required to ensure that your research speaks true even if the result is positive or negative. As someone who researches and works with Heathen communities, this is by far the most comprehensive account of the American Heathen identity and practice.

[varsha :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Decent ethnography but could’ve went into much greater detail if it was focused on one region

[Tribblemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to give this 5 stars. Content-wise, writing- and organisation-wise, it definitely met the requirements. But there were too many typos, especially for what is supposed to be an academic book, and either the author needed to spend more time proofing her own work or she needed an editor with a keener eye: there were a couple of instances in which large chunks of text were re-introduced and dealt with in equal (though not greater) depth within the same chapter. Material can be reiterated wholesale between different chapters, as chapters of academic books are often read and used separate from the whole work, but to repeat rather than summarise a previously-discussed topic within the same chapter is somewhat awkward. On the whole, an intriguing read, and an excellent effort at a balanced depiction of Heathenry in the U.S.

[MARK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! For anyone who is interested in Germanic Paganism in the U.S. today should read this book! Should be on every heathen's bookshelf.

[Mills College Library]

299.94097 S673 2015