New Age and Neopagan Religions in America

Columbia Contemporary American Religion

by Sarah M. Pike

From Shirley MacLaine's spiritual biography Out on a Limb to the teenage witches in the film The Craft, New Age and Neopagan beliefs have made sensationalistic headlines. In the mid- to late 1990s, several important scholarly studies of the New Age and Neopagan movements were published, attesting to academic as well as popular recognition that these religions are a significant presence on the contemporary North American religious landscape. Self-help books by New Age channelers and psychics are a large and growing market; annual spending on channeling, self-help businesses, and alternative health care is at $10 to $14 billion; an estimated 12 million Americans are involved with New Age activities; and American Neopagans are estimated at around 200,000. New Age and Neopagan Religions in America introduces the beliefs and practices behind the public faces of these controversial movements, which have been growing steadily in late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century America.

What is the New Age movement, and how is it different from and similar to Neopaganism in its underlying beliefs and still-evolving practices? Where did these decentralized and eclectic movements come from, and why have they grown and flourished at this point in American religious history? What is the relationship between the New Age and Neopaganism and other religions in America, particularly Christianity, which is often construed as antagonistic to them? Drawing on historical and ethnographic accounts, Sarah Pike explores these questions and offers a sympathetic yet critical treatment of religious practices often marginalized yet soaring in popularity. The book provides a general introduction to the varieties of New Age and Neopagan religions in the United States today as well as an account of their nineteenth-century roots and emergence from the 1960s counterculture. Covering such topics as healing, gender and sexuality, millennialism, and ritual experience, it also furnishes a rich description and analysis of the spiritual worlds and social networks created by participants.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History, Spirituality, Paganism

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though some parts on the historical background of alternative religions were fairly dull, this book is still a good read for those trying to get a handle on the commonalities between Neopagan and New Age religious perspectives. The chapters in section 2, dealing with current beliefs and issues in these communities, made for fascinating reading.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained some good information amid quite a few stylistic issues. It was poorly organized in places and often tried to shoehorn in connections between New Age and Neopaganism that didn't exist. The author focused the majority of the book on New Age and didn't go as deeply into Neopaganism as the title would suggest.

[Joshua Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pike was a surprisingly fast read. I usually don't struggle with religious studies texts, but the person who recommended it to me usually makes sure that the texts are heavily technical and challenging. I'm far from an expert on New Age and Neopagan Religions in America, but purely from the standpoint of a sociological study, it's unbiased and well written.

The structure of the text is accessible, so it's a good read as an introduction to religious studies generally, as well as to the subject. I'm very happy with the way that the text presents the history as well as the contemporary rituals in New Age and Neopaganism. It's a great read, and I recommend it for those who are into the occult generally, as well as for those who are interested in the subject in particular.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charitable and fair study of neopagan and new age beliefs and practices I. America. I learned quite a bit from the book and was able to compare and contrast it with my own worldview.

[Araminta Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great account of the history and practice of both New Age and Neopagan counterculture. This book also makes fine work of contrasting where New Age and Neopaganism differ.