A patchwork of ideas: introducing myself

December 17, 2012 By Yvonne Aburrow

I have been a Pagan since 1985, when I realised that there is no external deity outside the universe, controlling it - how could there be when there was so much wrong with the world?I have been a Pagan since 1985, when I realised that there is no external deity outside the universe, controlling it - how could there be when there was so much wrong with the world? I decided that sexuality and the body are sacred. I realised that Nature is full of divinity. And I realised that if the world is going to get any better, it's up to us to roll up our sleeves and do the work ourselves, not wait for some deity or deities to do it for us. I realised that Nature is full of divinity. And I realised that if the world is going to get any better, it's up to us to roll up our sleeves and do the work ourselves, not wait for some deity or deities to do it for us. Read more

Yvonne Aburrow Joins “Sermons”; Gender and Sexuality Article

December 14, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

Yvonne Aburrow joins Sermons from the Mound, plus a new academic article on gender and sexuality in contemporary Paganism. Read more

Human Flesh: Beginning a Pagan Theology

December 13, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

Most theologies begin with considering the nature of divinity, with the nature of humanity as a secondary concern. I like the idea that a Pagan theology should begin with the human, with the very flesh I’m using to write these words. Read more

Opening a Pagan Theological Dialogue

December 7, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

It’s time for Pagans to take their beliefs as seriously as they do their practices, and to affirm that thinking is as important to being human as feeling. Read more

Announcing Seeking the Mystery: An Introduction to Pagan Theologies

December 3, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

Contemporary Paganism focuses on practice, often neglecting theology. Yet belief and practice are intertwined. As the religious movement continues to grow, so does the need for intellectual frameworks for practice and ways of approaching the controversial question of belief. Read more

Introducing Myself

December 1, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

First, the blog, now, a bit about the author! I have what is being called an “alternative academic career” (Google for #alt-ac — it’s not just a career choice, it’s a hashtag!). I went to grad school wanting to be a professor and thinking that an academic career would also allow me to have another life: that I’d be able to write books, have a family, serve as a leader in my religious community, that sort of thing. About halfway through... Read more

Introducing “Sermons from the Mound”

November 28, 2012 By Christine Kraemer

In the summer of 2011, I visited the Irish passage tombs at Knowth and Newgrange. These enormous construction projects are over five thousand years old, older even than the Egyptian pyramids, and they most likely took several generations to build. Each tomb is a mound of earth supported by massive stones. In the largest mounds, a passage penetrating the side leads to an inner chamber, where the cremains of the dead were once laid. Mysteriously, around four thousand years ago,... Read more