Intuiting the Past: New Age and Neopagan Medievalisms

Authors

  • Karolyn Kinane Plymouth State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr3-2-576

Keywords:

Medievalism, New Age, Neopagan, Medieval, Spirituality, History, Popular Culture

Abstract

As distinct movements in contemporary spirituality, the New Age and Neopaganism share a complex relationship to the European Middle Ages. Revered for its closeness to the earth and reviled for its religious intolerance, the medieval past lends authority to Neopagan practice, provides evidence of universal truth to New Agers, and bestows a sense of enchantment to the daily lives of both groups. This essay defines the terms “medievalism,” “New Age,” and “Neopagan,” outlines previous scholarship that connects these areas, and considers the specific and differing contours of medievalism in both contexts.

Author Biography

Karolyn Kinane, Plymouth State University

Associate Professor of English

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Published

2013-08-28

How to Cite

Kinane, K. (2013). Intuiting the Past: New Age and Neopagan Medievalisms. Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception, 3(2), 225–48. https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr3-2-576

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2013): Special Issue: New Age and Neopagan Medievalisms

Section

Articles

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