Pagan family values
Subtitle: childhood and the religious imagination in contemporary American paganism
By: S. Zohreh Kermani
Series: The new and alternative religions series; New and alternative religions series
Publisher: NYU Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 235
ISBN-13: 9780814769744; 9781479894604
Subjects: Kind; Neopaganism; Families; 11.98 other religions; Neopagan families; Heidendom; Religiöses Leben; Familienleben; Religious life; Neuheidentum; Gezinsopvoeding
Description: "The first ethnographic study of the everyday lives of contemporary Pagan families, this volume brings their experiences into conversation with contemporary issues in American religion. Through formal interviews with Pagan families, participant observation at various pagan events, and data collected via online surveys, Kermani traces the ways in which Pagan parents transmit their religious values to their children. Rather than seeking to pass along specific religious beliefs, Pagan parents tend to seek to instill values, such as religious tolerance and spiritual independence, that will remain with their children throughout their lives, regardless of these children's ultimate religious identifications. Pagan parents tend to construct an idealized, magical childhood for their children that mirrors their ideal childhoods. The socialization of children thus becomes a means by which adults construct and make meaningful their own identities as Pagans. Kermani's meticulous fieldwork and clear, engaging writing provide an illuminating look at parenting and religious expression in Pagan households and at how new religions pass on their beliefs to a new generation."--Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Crafting history; title: Old souls: pagan childhood; title: Parenting in Neverland; title: Don't eat the incense: children in ritual; title: A room full of fireflies; title: My dream come true; title: Building fairy houses; title: Appendix A: American pagan families & family values, online survey; title: Appendix B: Second-generation pagans: experiences and opinions, online survey.