The idea of monotheism can be put in different ways, and sometimes other ideas can be mistaken for monotheism. A more abstract approach, for example, would not necessarily say there is only one God, but only that there is no more than one God. This way of putting things is amenable to those who think … Continue reading Monotheism and the Question Begged
Paganism
The Rebirth of Platonism in Philosophy of Religion: Debrief and some l’esprit d’escalier
Last night I had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Watkins from Real Atheology and Tyler over on his YouTube channel The Freed Thinker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdBtlAlTCYo I have long admired Ben's work, and share his commitment to raising the level of discourse. And Tyler was a gracious and attentive host. I appreciate the opportunity, and look … Continue reading The Rebirth of Platonism in Philosophy of Religion: Debrief and some l’esprit d’escalier
Hot Take Monday: Taking All Y’all to Task
I'd like to share a couple of hot takes with you, ya know, to spice your Monday up. The first is that polytheism is the fulfillment of a naturalist intuition. The second is that monotheism has built a fortress around a very fragile belief. Let's take each in turn. I. The Best of Both Worlds: … Continue reading Hot Take Monday: Taking All Y’all to Task
Thoughts on De Mysteriis: Part 2
"For Iamblichus, the central issue of his age was not the polemic between pagans and Christians but the far more serious conflict between “old ways” and “new ways,” between the ancient traditions inspired by gods, and those recently invented by man," Gregory Shaw, Theurgy and the Soul, 3 As we saw in the previous installment, … Continue reading Thoughts on De Mysteriis: Part 2
The World is What is Pagan
I am currently working on a book. It is combining a number of open projects and loose threads that have collected dust over the years. It will represent my most mature and considered thoughts on what Paganism is and what it's place is in today's world. Those of you who have followed my writings over … Continue reading The World is What is Pagan
On Gods and Men
Asclepius, son of Apollo, help me understand. Guide my thoughts, call me to those things you wish for me to see. I acknowledge my biases and ulterior motives, my ignorance, my stupidity. I move my will to counter these dispositions, these structures, as best I can. I look with fresh eyes, cleared from the fog … Continue reading On Gods and Men
Return of the Gods: a revamped response to Palmqvist
Carl-Johan Palmqvist’s 2022 ‘The old gods as a live possibility: on the rational feasibility of non-doxastic paganism’ has opened the doors for today’s philosophers of religion to research and consider polytheism—the belief in many Gods or Goddesses. But the start of any conversation will be marked by distinctions, caution and refinement. In that vein, I … Continue reading Return of the Gods: a revamped response to Palmqvist
Existential Paganism
I recently experienced what philosopher and author Brendan Myers might call an Immensity; a shocking, overwhelming encounter with an event that's completely beyond my ability to control or understand, with all the resulting sensations of despair, powerlessness, helplessness, humility and silence. I feel as if I've been shaken from an unreflective life, and my attention … Continue reading Existential Paganism
Under the Microscope Part 2: An Abductive Case Against Theism
In the last post, we took a look at the first part of a short abductive case against theism. As you can see in the image below, the first section concerns the prior probabilities of Naturalism and Theism. The idea is that we can have some understanding of how believable a proposition is prior to … Continue reading Under the Microscope Part 2: An Abductive Case Against Theism
Aquinas, Gods and Revelation
1. Introduction Those who have followed my work through the years know that Thomas Aquinas had a big impact on my thought. I considered myself a Thomist for some time and attempted to adapt his philosophy to a Pagan worldview – much as he did with Aristotle for his Christian worldview. I’ll enchant Aquinas, like … Continue reading Aquinas, Gods and Revelation
The Analytic Pagan 