Christian Wicca
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Christian Wicca combines Christian and Wiccan beliefs. Common elements transplanted from Wicca include reincarnation and fertility; however, the key points of the divinity of Jehovah, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are retained from Christianity, often with a renewed emphasis on the latter two. The combination of two religions, each traditionally considered at odds with the other, is frequently criticized by those who are members of only one.
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[edit] Principal tenets
Christian Witches may follow the Wiccan Rede, the Christian Golden Rule, or a combination of the two. God, and sometimes angels, are the central focus of worship. Angels are typically associated with aspects of God, such as God's control of certain elements, emotions, events, or concepts; they may also be associated with the pagan, lesser gods of traditional Wicca or the Greek, Celtic, Norse, or Hindu pantheons. However, in accordance with the first of the Ten Commandments (to have no other gods before me), the One God is virtually universally acknowledged as the greatest and the Lord of all other angels, saints, and lesser deities.
As such, Christian Wiccans are a blend of monotheists and polytheists, a seeming contradiction that can be referred to as syncretic monotheism (blending the two seeming contradictory schools of thought with each other). Christian Wiccans are monotheistic in that they recognize only one God, whether Jehovah, Yahweh, or Jesus Christ. At the same time, they are polytheistic in their inclusion of a Goddess figure (such as Sophia, a Feminine Holy Spirit, or the Earth as Mother).
[edit] Christology
A significant set of issues within Christian Wicca, and between Christian Wiccans and other Christians, are the details of Christology, interpretation of the Bible, and the nature of the Trinity. According to historic Christian Doctrine, held by the majority of Christian movements and Churches, God is personified in a Trinity, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mother Earth is commonly viewed as the Goddess of common Wicca.
In Christian Wicca, the Holy Spirit is Feminine, and is thus may be regarded as the Great Mother Goddess, as spoken of in Traditional Christian thought. Many even take it farther, saying the Holy Spirit was embodied in the person of the Virgin Mary. Other Biblical passages believed to refer to the Holy Spirit as Feminine Goddess include the "Wisdom" character of the Book of Proverbs (see also the Gnostic concept of "Sophia"), the Bride of the Song of Solomon, and the female figures depicted in the Book of Revelation.
Other Christian Wiccans dispense with complex Trinitarian arguments, and simply believe that Mother Earth and God are one and the same. This is a controversial concept in Christianity. (Leonardo Boff is a Roman Catholic theologian who has argued for the divine nature of the Earth, and was summarily dismissed from the priesthood.) Some worship the holy Goddess as Shekinah, or the radiance of God, an originally Jewish concept. A related concept used as a name for the Goddess is Matronit. Another of her names is the Greek goddess-name Sophia (literally meaning 'wisdom') or the Latin equivalent Sapienta.
Another Christian Wiccan position is to embrace Mary as a goddess-figure, and Jesus Christ as their god-figure. Sometimes this 'Mary' is not the Virgin Mary of the Bible, and mother of Jesus, but Mary Magdalene or Mary of Bethany. According to traditions recounted in the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail, one of these women was said to be the wife of Jesus. Many also see evidence of a romantic link between Mary Magdalene and Jesus in the Nag Hammâdi Gnostic Scriptures. This is, however, not obvious. (There is no direct reference to her being his wife, for instance.)
Other Christian Wiccans pray to God as Yahweh and to the Goddess as Elohim, a divine name that is, disputedly, a feminine word in Judaism. (For another instance of a modern use of the word Elohim, see Raelians).
[edit] Interpretation of Biblical injunctions
The most common objection to Christian Wicca are the direct objections to witchcraft found in the Old Testament, particularly in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. A common counter argument is that the term 'witch' is a loose translation of the terminology used in the original Hebrew, which was more specific in its implications. As with other aspects of Christian Wicca, wide disparities exist in the arguments used to reconcile these injunctions with Wiccan practice[1][2]. However, common elements generally agreed upon include:
- The ancient Hebrew and modern definitions of witch do not coincide
- Some elements of modern Witchcraft, such as divination and meditation, are clearly endorsed by the Bible
- The prohibitions in the Bible forbid particular practices of witchcraft, including:
- necromancy, or raising and commanding ghosts and spirits (see Witch of Endor)
- poisoning
- compulsion or deception through magical means
- use of polytheistic rites to deny God
- use of magic in rebellion against God, or for selfish purposes
More controversial arguments used against the anti-witch provisions include:
- The prohibitions against witchcraft are part of the Jewish Law, and are inapplicable to Christians, who are freed from the Law (Romans)
- The legislations against witchcraft were primarily intended to prevent conversion to foreign polytheisms, and are now obsolete
- These portions of the Scriptures have only limited relevance
[edit] Symbolism
One symbol used in Christian Wicca is the Crucifix with the word God across the horizontal 'beam' and the word goddess down the vertical. Another common motif is a Celtic cross, with the pentagram of Wicca inscribed in the circle about the cross.
[edit] Prayer and Witchcraft
Many Christian Wiccas consider prayer and witchcraft to be two similar or identical practices. Others believe that priests are actually performing witchcraft when they are in service, but that their actions are called by another term. There have been comparisons made between the Christian method of prayer and the Wiccan tradition of magick (prayer being defined as "passive magic" and spells as "active magic"). Traditional Christians believe that prayer is communication with God. Prayer may be a petition for intervention, to seek comfort, counsel, guidance, or to strengthen faith and keep a connection with their Heavenly Father. Prayer encompasses more than pleas for assistance: praise, thanksgiving, and even heartfelt chats are also commonly done. Witchcraft seeks to use magical means to alter the outcome of a situation; some consider this to be a solely human endeavour using only will and physical elements, but others consider it to be another method of prayer and petition.
[edit] Concepts drawn from Wicca
Many Christian Wiccans hold beliefs remarkably similar to other Wiccans or Pagans. They may embrace reincarnation, an uncommon topic in mainstream Christian thought. This belief usually includes a stop at the Summerlands, associated either with heaven or purgatory, a period of judgement (as described in traditional Christianity), before rebirth. Emphasis on nature and fertility is usually a key aspect of Christian Wiccan religious belief.
[edit] Textual sources of Christian Wiccan thought
Interpretation of the Bible varies widely between Christian Wiccans. Some elements of fundamentalist Christian thought are found at one extreme. However, most Christian Wiccans' thought overlaps with that of liberal Christian thought. Some hold it to be a Divine and Sacred record of God's interaction with man, but view the text, and society, as flexible, and possibly of human origin, though writing of divine things. Others may see it as in part inspired, or fully inspired, as many Christians do.
Scripture is approached in a variety of ways in Christian Wicca, and what constitutes Scripture is often contingent on the group. As with Christology, the viewpoint of Christian Wiccans towards the Bible varies widely. Among the viewpoints contended are:
- The Bible is a man-made construct, of little value except to speak of Christ
- The Bible is a collection of informative, but not authoritative, texts
- The Bible is a record of a divine journey and correspondence with God
- The Bible is a two-way exchange with God
- The Bible is an inspired document from God
- The Bible is a literally dictated document from God
This variety of viewpoints echoes the evolution of mainstream Christian thought, especially in Protestant denominations, where the respect and authority given to Scripture varies from the literalist and innerenist positions found in fundamentalist Christian Circles, to the allegorical and academic understanding in institutional churches, to the loose interpretations found in liberal Protestant denominations.
Christian Wiccans are often syncretic, and may regard other scriptures or texts as useful, insightful, or partly or fully divinely inspired. They often include elements of Judaism, such as the Kaballah and Talmud, in their spiritual life. Some are interested in insights from non-canonical Jewish and Christian texts, such as the Gnostic Gospels or the Book of Enoch. Commonly read texts from outside the Judeo-Christian tradition include the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, and texts from pre-Christian and Pagan sources, such as the Iliad. According to the particular beliefs of the individual Christian Wiccan, these writings may be accepted along similar lines, or given equal or less weight.
[edit] Criticism from Wiccans
- Wicca itself is a religion within its own rights.
- Many Wiccans consider the philosophy of Christianity (ideas about the Fall, sin and redemption) to be incompatible with Pagan philosophy, which generally celebrates the worth of the individual
- Many Wiccans disapprove of the merging of Christian and pagan beliefs, considering the Christian faith as male dominated and patriarchal.
- Some Wiccans disapprove of maintaining Christian beliefs as displaying insufficient acceptance of Wiccan belief.
- Wicca is a ditheistic religion (male god and female goddess) which gives equal emphasis to both aspects of the divine. The principal tenets of Christian Wicca are incompatible with Wicca because it elevates the status of God above others.
[edit] Criticism from Christians
- Some Christians, especially from the more fundamental Protestant churches, take offense at the use of the word "Christian" to describe a religion that they believe to be different in custom, ritual, and doctrine from their own.
- Many traditional Christians consider worshipping angels as a form of Idolatry, presenting a conflict with the Ten Commandments.
- It is argued that acknowledgement of Mother Earth results in a conflict with traditional Christian monotheism.
- Some of these same witches believe that the established church and/or the Bible is human-created, and therefore either flawed or driven by medieval ideas. Literalist Christians see a contradiction between the word "Christian" ("follower of Christ,") and a perceived 'refusal' to believe in the written Bible at the same time.
- Some have argued that the claim that prayer is witchcraft also denies certain elements of the Christian God, making it seem as if He can be controlled (as witchcraft is a form of controlling one's destiny). The traditional Christian believes that God is Sovereign over man, and not vice versa. This is particularly true of Calvinistic Churches, but is true to some extent for all Christians.
- According to the bible, Mary Magdalene was a mortal, not a goddess. Elevating Mary to godhood removes Jesus's intermediation between God and Man, a fundamental concept of the Trinity.
- Sophia is a Gnostic goddess, and the Christian Church brands Gnosticism as a heresy. Incorporating gnostic beliefs into Wicca and calling it Christian Wicca pushes the definition of Christianity tremondously at best.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] For Christian Wicca
- Resources on Christian Witchcraft/Christian Wicca from About.com
- Christian Witchery Page, with Seekers' course
- The Realm of White Magic
- Christian Wicca: Trinitarian Tradition
- Can a person be both Christian and Wiccan?
