Modern paganism

Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of <a href="/facts/New_religious_movement/7Ttfr321">new religious movements</a> variously influenced by the <a href="/facts/Paganism/JaWTHBtJ">beliefs of pre-modern peoples</a> across Europe, North Africa, and the <a href="/facts/Near_East/gD1vyGQI">Near East</a>. Despite some common similarities, contemporary pagan movements are diverse, sharing no single set of beliefs, practices, or <a href="/facts/Religious_text/H2HjQEYv">religious texts</a>. <a href="/facts/Religious_studies/evl1y5M8">Scholars of religion</a> may study the phenomenon as a movement divided into different religions, while others study neopaganism as a decentralized religion with an array of <a href="/facts/Religious_denomination/8AjTfwCj">denominations</a>.
Adherents rely on <a href="/facts/Christianization/ofJwq42c">pre-Christian</a>, folkloric, and ethnographic sources to a variety of degrees; many of them follow a spirituality that they accept as entirely modern, while others claim to adhere to <a href="/facts/Prehistoric_religion/Y6V3agtm">prehistoric beliefs</a>, or else, they attempt to revive indigenous religions as accurately as possible. <a href="/facts/List_of_modern_pagan_movements/kSnr0lHe">Modern pagan movements</a> are frequently described on a spectrum ranging from <a href="/facts/Polytheistic_reconstructionism/cG3nxvzS">reconstructive</a>, which seeks to revive historical pagan religions; to <a href="/facts/Eclectic_paganism/TUrWjBFk">eclectic movements</a>, which blend elements from various religions and philosophies with historical paganism. <a href="/facts/Polytheism/zxpjmWbq">Polytheism</a>, <a href="/facts/Animism/jsPnJBuD">animism</a>, and <a href="/facts/Pantheism/jcvmRCAr">pantheism</a> are common features across pagan theology. Modern pagans can also include <a href="/facts/Atheist/patUWN1f">atheists</a>, upholding virtues and principles associated with paganism while maintaining a secular worldview. <a href="/facts/Secular_paganism/X3uuIEXw">Humanistic, naturalistic, or secular pagans</a> may recognize deities as <a href="/facts/Archetype/FsGNSHUo">archetypes</a> or useful metaphors for different cycles of life, or reframe <a href="/facts/Magic_(supernatural)/ttcCLh3A">magic</a> as a purely psychological practice.
Contemporary paganism has <a href="/facts/Modern_paganism_and_New_Age/pcetVt7w">been associated with</a> the <a href="/facts/New_Age/6cr8V2zG">New Age</a> movement, with scholars highlighting their similarities as well as their differences. The academic field of <a href="/facts/Pagan_studies/879bKrV4">pagan studies</a> began to coalesce in the 1990s, emerging from disparate scholarship in the preceding two decades.

Modern paganism open-in-new

Modern paganism