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The Earth, The Gods and The Soul - A History of Pagan Philosophy: From the Iron Age to the 21st Century
Philosophy was invented by pagans. Yet this fact is almost always ignored by those who write the history of ideas. This book tells the history of the pagan philosophers, and the various places where their ideas appeared, from ancient times to the 21st century. The Pagan philosophers are a surprisingly diverse from kings of great empires to exiled lonely wanderers, from devout religious teachers to con artists, drug addicts, and social radicals. Three traditions of thought emerge from their Pantheism, NeoPlatonism, and Humanism, corresponding to the immensities of the Earth, the Gods, and the Soul. From ancient schools like the Stoics and the Druids, to modern feminists and deep ecologists, the pagan philosophers examined these three immensities with systematic critical reason, and sometimes with poetry and mystical vision. This book tells their story for the first time in one volume, and invites you to examine the immensities with them. And as a special feature, the book includes summaries of the ideas of leading modern pagan intellectuals, in their own Emma Restall Orr, Michael York, John Michael Greer, Vivianne Crowley, and more
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326 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2013
25 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Myers
37 books57 followersBy day, Brendan Myers is a professor of philosophy at Cegep Heritage College, in Gatineau, Quebec. By night, he composes thought-operas. And sometimes he publishes them.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 19, 2018
Previous reviewers have described this book as "dense with information" and I would like to echo that assessment. This book is like trying to run on sand - it requires close attention, active reading, and an exertion of effort that many (myself included) aren't entirely used to. The book is challenging and rewards active reading; in that way, it was a very refreshing read.
The book is a chronological study of pagan philosophical thought and belief. The book begins, naturally, with the Presocratic philosophers and continues on through present day and a brief hope for the future. The book showcases the evolution of the philosophies, how incredibly influential pagan thought has been, and how it is once more beginning to find a voice in present-day institutions.
This book will challenge any reader, but it will also reward them handsomely. It is fascinating, never boring, and utterly illuminating. There are many gems scattered throughout the text on how to live a good life. Pagan thought has much to offer us, and indeed, could lead us all towards a better and more humane future for all.
I look forward to mining through the texts referenced in this book and to reading more of Brendan Myers' work.
The book is a chronological study of pagan philosophical thought and belief. The book begins, naturally, with the Presocratic philosophers and continues on through present day and a brief hope for the future. The book showcases the evolution of the philosophies, how incredibly influential pagan thought has been, and how it is once more beginning to find a voice in present-day institutions.
This book will challenge any reader, but it will also reward them handsomely. It is fascinating, never boring, and utterly illuminating. There are many gems scattered throughout the text on how to live a good life. Pagan thought has much to offer us, and indeed, could lead us all towards a better and more humane future for all.
I look forward to mining through the texts referenced in this book and to reading more of Brendan Myers' work.
October 28, 2013
The Sub-heading for this book is: A history of Pagan Philosophy, from the Iron Age to the 21st Century - and it certainly does what it says on the tin!
This is a weighty book and yet it is also a very lucid introduction to a vast range of philosophers and proto-philosophers from the ancient to modern. Myers traces the roots and branches of Pagan thinking and philosophy over several thousand years - analysing the various philosophical arguments and propositions presented in the various sources: from the Classical world and its renowned philosophers such as Plato and Socrates, through the lacuna in pagan writings during the Christian era, to the stirrings of pagan philosophy found in 'Barbarian' works of the Irish Wisdom Texts and Poetic Eddas. He follows the route of pagan thought through to the Age of Reason and to the Nature writers of nineteenth century America - who brought nature to the fore in their world view. Myers explores the nineteenth and twentieth century revivals of paganism via Madame Blavatsky, James Frazer and Robert Graves, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardiner and Doreen Valiente and brings the work right up to the present day via the birth of modern Neo-Paganism.
Finally he considers whether Pagan Philosophy has developed a critical tradition (with argument, criticism, counter-criticism etc shaping and re-developing/re-interpreting ideas) whilst being effectively denied the institutional support of museums, universities and the like due to the ascendancy of Christianity for much of recent history.
I have to say, this book took me a while to read. Although I had heard of most of the philosophers mentioned (and even read some of them) I have never studied philosophy so, frankly, don't really understand it very much!! Hence I was expecting to be just a bit out of my depth with this book. However, I was happily surprised. Myers is a very good writer and presents his arguments with passion and clarity. He takes time to clearly lay out what makes a philosophical argument: basically asking really BIG questions and using 'systematic critical reasoning' to investigate them (N.B. but to avoid dogmatic 'Answers' as philosophy is an ongoing process!) He also outlines how he proposes to define 'pagan philosophers' as clearly many of the writers in the 'Christian Era' may have held more or less recognizably pagan views but would not necessarily have identified themselves as pagans. To justify his choice of writers, he explains the three main strands of paganism that he considers are identifying factors in pagan philosophy: Pantheism, Neo-Platonism and Humanism.
I could write A LOT on this book. I found it utterly fascinating and extremely well researched. The second half of the book, which deals with writers who might be more familiar to Modern Pagan readers (Blavatsky, Frazer, Graves, Crowley, Bonewits, the Farrer's) I found to be easier to read simply because they were more familiar to me. Myers also examines the influence of Feminist Philosophers (including the legendary Simone De Beauvoir) on pagan thinking, and the intersecting of eco-theory into the mainstay of pagan world views - I found these sections to be of particular interest.
The history of Paganism and Neo-Paganism and its philosophical heritage deserve to be considered worthy of serious study. Modern Pagan need to re-evaluate some of the 'accepted truths' of Neo-Paganism - such as Murray's surviving witch-cult; Daly's 'Burning Times' - and consider that they are more akin to foundation myths rather than history. However, as Myers notes, this does not diminish their importance because they still clearly have mythical and poetic truths contained within them. Nevertheless recognizing this will help in further developing a serious 'critical tradition' for Pagans which can only be a good thing. I think that Brendan Myers book is an important part of this growing trend for serious study of paganism and its philosophy.
This is a weighty book and yet it is also a very lucid introduction to a vast range of philosophers and proto-philosophers from the ancient to modern. Myers traces the roots and branches of Pagan thinking and philosophy over several thousand years - analysing the various philosophical arguments and propositions presented in the various sources: from the Classical world and its renowned philosophers such as Plato and Socrates, through the lacuna in pagan writings during the Christian era, to the stirrings of pagan philosophy found in 'Barbarian' works of the Irish Wisdom Texts and Poetic Eddas. He follows the route of pagan thought through to the Age of Reason and to the Nature writers of nineteenth century America - who brought nature to the fore in their world view. Myers explores the nineteenth and twentieth century revivals of paganism via Madame Blavatsky, James Frazer and Robert Graves, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardiner and Doreen Valiente and brings the work right up to the present day via the birth of modern Neo-Paganism.
Finally he considers whether Pagan Philosophy has developed a critical tradition (with argument, criticism, counter-criticism etc shaping and re-developing/re-interpreting ideas) whilst being effectively denied the institutional support of museums, universities and the like due to the ascendancy of Christianity for much of recent history.
I have to say, this book took me a while to read. Although I had heard of most of the philosophers mentioned (and even read some of them) I have never studied philosophy so, frankly, don't really understand it very much!! Hence I was expecting to be just a bit out of my depth with this book. However, I was happily surprised. Myers is a very good writer and presents his arguments with passion and clarity. He takes time to clearly lay out what makes a philosophical argument: basically asking really BIG questions and using 'systematic critical reasoning' to investigate them (N.B. but to avoid dogmatic 'Answers' as philosophy is an ongoing process!) He also outlines how he proposes to define 'pagan philosophers' as clearly many of the writers in the 'Christian Era' may have held more or less recognizably pagan views but would not necessarily have identified themselves as pagans. To justify his choice of writers, he explains the three main strands of paganism that he considers are identifying factors in pagan philosophy: Pantheism, Neo-Platonism and Humanism.
I could write A LOT on this book. I found it utterly fascinating and extremely well researched. The second half of the book, which deals with writers who might be more familiar to Modern Pagan readers (Blavatsky, Frazer, Graves, Crowley, Bonewits, the Farrer's) I found to be easier to read simply because they were more familiar to me. Myers also examines the influence of Feminist Philosophers (including the legendary Simone De Beauvoir) on pagan thinking, and the intersecting of eco-theory into the mainstay of pagan world views - I found these sections to be of particular interest.
The history of Paganism and Neo-Paganism and its philosophical heritage deserve to be considered worthy of serious study. Modern Pagan need to re-evaluate some of the 'accepted truths' of Neo-Paganism - such as Murray's surviving witch-cult; Daly's 'Burning Times' - and consider that they are more akin to foundation myths rather than history. However, as Myers notes, this does not diminish their importance because they still clearly have mythical and poetic truths contained within them. Nevertheless recognizing this will help in further developing a serious 'critical tradition' for Pagans which can only be a good thing. I think that Brendan Myers book is an important part of this growing trend for serious study of paganism and its philosophy.
November 19, 2013
As with anything written by Brendan Myers, there is a lot to chew on and much information to be digested, but he does it in a way that is so easy and readable that you don't realize that you are learning something new.
This book looks at the roots of Pagan thinking and philosophy and covers a lot of ground. Myers looks at the philosophical arguments presented in the various sources and his analysis takes us from the classical world to the nineteenth century.
I've read many of the philosophers he discusses in this book, but I wanted to see what Myers had to say about them and was not disappointed. He puts forth his thoughts on Pagan philosophy in a clear and concise manner which makes someone like me (who has never formally studied philosophy just read a few books on it) understand every word or thought he was trying to convey.
I can't write enough of this book, go read it!
This book looks at the roots of Pagan thinking and philosophy and covers a lot of ground. Myers looks at the philosophical arguments presented in the various sources and his analysis takes us from the classical world to the nineteenth century.
I've read many of the philosophers he discusses in this book, but I wanted to see what Myers had to say about them and was not disappointed. He puts forth his thoughts on Pagan philosophy in a clear and concise manner which makes someone like me (who has never formally studied philosophy just read a few books on it) understand every word or thought he was trying to convey.
I can't write enough of this book, go read it!
January 13, 2014
This gave a concise overview of various philosophical movements across a very broad span of time. I was disappointed that this book was mainly a review of literature and had little of the author''s own philosophical thought. I am a big fan of Brendan Myers, and his philosophical teachings. I was hoping for more in his book. That said, This book made my own philosophy stronger and better reasoned.
I highly recommend for general reading purposes.
I highly recommend for general reading purposes.
November 28, 2017
I've read Betrand Russel's 'History of western philosophy', so I tought that Inyad a fairly good idea of the history of philo. Boy, I was wrong. This books informed me of the many philosophies and philosophers that I missed.
As said on the cover, this book is an overview of pagan philosophies from the iron age to today. Important ideas, movements and concepts are discusse which belong to the area of pantheism ('the Earth'), neo-platonism ('the Gods') and humanism ('the Soul'). Readers will be surprised that even some philosophers, usually not counted as pagans, made their way in this book due to their pagan-like ideas.
The book made me aware of my own philosophy of life, or rather, the lack thereof. It also encourages me to look up some of (the works of) the mentioned philosophers. I definitely will re-read this book again and I encourage other readers to pick up a copy for general development.
As said on the cover, this book is an overview of pagan philosophies from the iron age to today. Important ideas, movements and concepts are discusse which belong to the area of pantheism ('the Earth'), neo-platonism ('the Gods') and humanism ('the Soul'). Readers will be surprised that even some philosophers, usually not counted as pagans, made their way in this book due to their pagan-like ideas.
The book made me aware of my own philosophy of life, or rather, the lack thereof. It also encourages me to look up some of (the works of) the mentioned philosophers. I definitely will re-read this book again and I encourage other readers to pick up a copy for general development.
March 1, 2024
While most people in the realm of philosophy like to make sure that they sound superior to the rest of us, Brendan Myers does no such thing. Written in an easy to read format in common language, he covers the history of Pagan philosophy from the earliest known accounts to the modern era.
I was expecting a bit of a slog given the subject matter, but I was pleasantly surprised with how accessible it was. It's a great book to complement our belief system to understand how and why it has evolved the way it has, the common threads between the differing subsets of beliefs, and how we can continue to let it grow.
Overall great book for anyone interested in philosophy, paganism, and history!
I was expecting a bit of a slog given the subject matter, but I was pleasantly surprised with how accessible it was. It's a great book to complement our belief system to understand how and why it has evolved the way it has, the common threads between the differing subsets of beliefs, and how we can continue to let it grow.
Overall great book for anyone interested in philosophy, paganism, and history!
June 12, 2020
I borrowed this from the library and I’m already looking to buy a copy, this is such an incredible book to have as a reference text. To my knowledge this is the first timeline of pagan philosophy available, and it’s very readable. It goes into detail of the major influences and writers of pagan mythology, philosophy, thealogy, and cultural studies. Myers compiles a great encyclopedia of who they are and what they wrote and believed. I recommend this to historians and witches alike, it’s one of the best resources I’ve found.
March 10, 2017
I've been meaning to post a review of this book for some while, as it is one of the recommended reading texts on the Classical Polytheism module of the Religious Studies degree that I run. Brendan Myers' "The Earth, the Gods and the Soul" is an excellent resource in the study of both early pagan thought and its more modern expressions. The author summarises the key beliefs of a wide range of philosophers who either were pagan (such as Pythagoras) or whose writings have had a strong influence upon the development of pagan philosophies (such as Rousseau and Graves).
Myers' precis of the central beliefs is both accurate and succinct, and he ties the assorted ideas together to build an overarching set of arguments around the necessity for institutional structure to help in the building (or rather rebuilding) of a cohesive philosophy of the world, weaving together such strands as animism and Neo-Platonism.
The author also addresses such issues as the enchantment of the world, a concept explored in some depth by other authors such as Morris Berman. One of the reasons this book is recommended to my students is that Myers covers such a wide array of thinkers in easy, accessible language and shows how the schools of thought interacted with one another to show the development of insights about the world. The writer's passion and intelligence shine through and make this one of the better pagan books on the market, not least because it deals with central issues that define the core of paganism rather than simply rehashing trite information about sabbats, spells, and circle casting.
If there's an area for recommendation (or possibly a follow-up book) it is the potential to include modern thinkers within Kemeticism, Heathenry, Religio Romana, and other culturally embedded forms of modern polytheism.
Thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in pagan thought, whether from an academic point of view or out of deepening personal convictions.
Myers' precis of the central beliefs is both accurate and succinct, and he ties the assorted ideas together to build an overarching set of arguments around the necessity for institutional structure to help in the building (or rather rebuilding) of a cohesive philosophy of the world, weaving together such strands as animism and Neo-Platonism.
The author also addresses such issues as the enchantment of the world, a concept explored in some depth by other authors such as Morris Berman. One of the reasons this book is recommended to my students is that Myers covers such a wide array of thinkers in easy, accessible language and shows how the schools of thought interacted with one another to show the development of insights about the world. The writer's passion and intelligence shine through and make this one of the better pagan books on the market, not least because it deals with central issues that define the core of paganism rather than simply rehashing trite information about sabbats, spells, and circle casting.
If there's an area for recommendation (or possibly a follow-up book) it is the potential to include modern thinkers within Kemeticism, Heathenry, Religio Romana, and other culturally embedded forms of modern polytheism.
Thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in pagan thought, whether from an academic point of view or out of deepening personal convictions.
November 20, 2017
Good History
Good history. Nice awakening. A bit drawn out for me but still with the deep, informative read. I recommend this book fOr those wanting a detailed informative religious lesson of confused why they believe what they believe.
Good history. Nice awakening. A bit drawn out for me but still with the deep, informative read. I recommend this book fOr those wanting a detailed informative religious lesson of confused why they believe what they believe.
January 26, 2019
Great book
August 5, 2018
https://leiturasdelaura.blogspot.com/...
Mais um livro comprado em promoção na Amazon... e, quem diria, um grande achado!
No início achei que o livro se propunha a algo muito complicado e difícil, mas o autor conseguiu se manter nas linhas em que ele mesmo definiu no início, e faz um grande passeio por milênios de filosofia que tem características pagãs. E ele faz questão de pontuar quando falta algum tipo de característica nos trabalhos que ele analisa para ser considerado realmente filosofia, mas também justifica porque mesmo sem essas características ele os selecionou para tratar no livro. Achei válido dentro do que ele expôs.
A primeira parte do livro cobre alguns textos antigos irlandeses (Poetic Edda e Prose Edda), que eu já tinha ouvido falar, mas que infelizmente nunca li (mas já tenho pelo menos um deles me esperando no kindle, oba!). A segunda parte fala sobre o "nascimento" da filosofia com os gregos, que, para quem é leigo como eu, é uma aula muito legal sobre o desenvolvimento dela. Depois ele passa pelos textos de diversos autores que certamente não se consideravam pagãos (afinal, já estamos falando da época em que o cristianismo se tornou a religião oficial de Roma e até o Renascimento) mas cujo pensamento tinha características que são consideradas pagãs. O mesmo processo ocorre quando ele analisa os trabalhos de autores iluministas, até que com o século XIX fica mais fácil de alguém se dizer não cristão, e aí ele analisa o trabalho de diversos naturalistas americanos e, como não podia deixar de faltar, Nietzsche.
A partir daí, o livro é um bálsamo, com uma análise crítica linda e bem pé no chão de clássicos como Blavatsky, Crowley, Gardner, o surgimento do termo "book of shadows", a inclusão da luta feminista dentro do pensamento pagão (Starhawk!), o entrelaçamento da consciência ecológica com o neopaganismo e a Hipótese Gaia. Inclusive, é justamente a partir do século XX que o livro fica cheio de informações mais interessantes e bem embasadas, de autores com maior calibre acadêmico produzindo textos muito mais profundos e de maior relevância, não só dentro do paganismo mas em estudos comparativos com outras linhas de pensamento.
De uma forma geral, as críticas do autor são muito bem colocadas, e apesar dele ser pagão, ele às vezes é tão certinho e rígido com sua linha de análise que ele aparenta não ser (o que achei um ponto muito positivo). Fiquei muito impressionada com isso. Além disso, ele escreve de forma bastante acessível e com um humor nerd que simplesmente me cativou.
O único problema desse livro é que me deixou com uma lista ainda maior de livros interessantes para ler. Graças aos deuses existe a lista de desejos da Amazon para deixar tudo anotado e aguardando o momento propício para compra-los.
Mais um livro comprado em promoção na Amazon... e, quem diria, um grande achado!
No início achei que o livro se propunha a algo muito complicado e difícil, mas o autor conseguiu se manter nas linhas em que ele mesmo definiu no início, e faz um grande passeio por milênios de filosofia que tem características pagãs. E ele faz questão de pontuar quando falta algum tipo de característica nos trabalhos que ele analisa para ser considerado realmente filosofia, mas também justifica porque mesmo sem essas características ele os selecionou para tratar no livro. Achei válido dentro do que ele expôs.
A primeira parte do livro cobre alguns textos antigos irlandeses (Poetic Edda e Prose Edda), que eu já tinha ouvido falar, mas que infelizmente nunca li (mas já tenho pelo menos um deles me esperando no kindle, oba!). A segunda parte fala sobre o "nascimento" da filosofia com os gregos, que, para quem é leigo como eu, é uma aula muito legal sobre o desenvolvimento dela. Depois ele passa pelos textos de diversos autores que certamente não se consideravam pagãos (afinal, já estamos falando da época em que o cristianismo se tornou a religião oficial de Roma e até o Renascimento) mas cujo pensamento tinha características que são consideradas pagãs. O mesmo processo ocorre quando ele analisa os trabalhos de autores iluministas, até que com o século XIX fica mais fácil de alguém se dizer não cristão, e aí ele analisa o trabalho de diversos naturalistas americanos e, como não podia deixar de faltar, Nietzsche.
A partir daí, o livro é um bálsamo, com uma análise crítica linda e bem pé no chão de clássicos como Blavatsky, Crowley, Gardner, o surgimento do termo "book of shadows", a inclusão da luta feminista dentro do pensamento pagão (Starhawk!), o entrelaçamento da consciência ecológica com o neopaganismo e a Hipótese Gaia. Inclusive, é justamente a partir do século XX que o livro fica cheio de informações mais interessantes e bem embasadas, de autores com maior calibre acadêmico produzindo textos muito mais profundos e de maior relevância, não só dentro do paganismo mas em estudos comparativos com outras linhas de pensamento.
De uma forma geral, as críticas do autor são muito bem colocadas, e apesar dele ser pagão, ele às vezes é tão certinho e rígido com sua linha de análise que ele aparenta não ser (o que achei um ponto muito positivo). Fiquei muito impressionada com isso. Além disso, ele escreve de forma bastante acessível e com um humor nerd que simplesmente me cativou.
O único problema desse livro é que me deixou com uma lista ainda maior de livros interessantes para ler. Graças aos deuses existe a lista de desejos da Amazon para deixar tudo anotado e aguardando o momento propício para compra-los.
March 4, 2014
Dr. Myers has succeeded, once again, in delivering Philosophy in a very accessible and meaningful way to non-philosophers.
In The Earth, The Gods and The Soul, we are treated to the history of Pagan thinking and philosophy over several thousand years: starting before the time of Socrates thru the present. I was a mazed at the actual volume of material that was drawn from. Myers is able to find the most pertinent examples from a surprisingly large population and present it in an intelligent and useful way. We are pointed to philisophical, religious and social movements as well as numerous ancient and not-so-ancient texts in addition to individuals. We are also shown the development and evolution of pagan thought through time.
After having read this, I really do have a better (if rudimentary) grasp on the subject. Myers writing style is accessible while still staying focused. He has been able to distill a huge amount of material into a single, concise overview. While you will not become an expert on the subject, you will learn the breadth of it and know where to continue your studies. Personally, I'm now waiting for Myers to write the more focused volumes that this book begs for!
College level philosophy is not a pre-requisite to gain value from this book. I highly recommend this to anyone interested.
In The Earth, The Gods and The Soul, we are treated to the history of Pagan thinking and philosophy over several thousand years: starting before the time of Socrates thru the present. I was a mazed at the actual volume of material that was drawn from. Myers is able to find the most pertinent examples from a surprisingly large population and present it in an intelligent and useful way. We are pointed to philisophical, religious and social movements as well as numerous ancient and not-so-ancient texts in addition to individuals. We are also shown the development and evolution of pagan thought through time.
After having read this, I really do have a better (if rudimentary) grasp on the subject. Myers writing style is accessible while still staying focused. He has been able to distill a huge amount of material into a single, concise overview. While you will not become an expert on the subject, you will learn the breadth of it and know where to continue your studies. Personally, I'm now waiting for Myers to write the more focused volumes that this book begs for!
College level philosophy is not a pre-requisite to gain value from this book. I highly recommend this to anyone interested.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews