Teaching religion in a very religiously homogenous area, I continue to be acutely aware of the Christianized view so many people have of religion. So many people expect all religions to operate similarly to Christianity, that everything in Christianity has a clear equivalent in other religions, and that simply isn't the case. I've been working on a series of articles addressing these issues, some of which shows up in my Comparisons of Religions section.
This week I add an article on the difference between orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Orthodoxy is the focus on correct belief, which is the driving force within Christianity. Wars have been fought over the subject. But many religions are primarily orthopraxic, where the focus is on correct action rather than correct belief.
Of course, most religions have some of both. But to focus on which one is more important can be monumental in understanding a religion.
The difference between orthodoxy and orthopraxy is something I’ve debated in regards to Wicca with quite a few other Wiccans. I was wondering if you, Ms. Beyer, as a Wiccan have any views on that? Like, do you think Wicca is more orthodox or orthopraxic? And do you think it differs between Traditional Wicca and Eclectic Wicca? And perhaps between the Wicca originally practiced by Gardner, and what it has evolved into today?
Every Wiccan I’ve spoke to about this has had very different opinions (which seems to be the case with almost anything relating to Wicca) but I thought it would be interesting to hear your ideas on it. Maybe you could even write a blog about it over on Wicca For The Rest Of Us? *nudge* Haha. I’m just playing. I know time is always an issue for these things, but I really do miss those blogs.
Its only recently that’ I’ve really been aware of such discussions, and I haven’t come up with a good conclusion about it.
Some argue that Wicca is mostly orthopraxic, and I believe I’ve even seen this stated by a Traditionalist. Which does give us a very different approach to, say, trying to define what Wicca is, since most people focus on beliefs rather than practices.
But our use of ritual is very broad, at least among eclectics. (Obviously I cannot speak for the practices of the Traditionalists, as I’m not privy to their rituals) If you celebrate the sabbats, but you do it differently than the next guy, is the focus on the sabbats enough to call it orthopraxic? And have you ever heard someone say someone wasn’t being a good Wiccan if they *didn’t* celebrate the sabbats?
I’m tending toward the orthopraxic argument at the moment. We don’t follow the same gods, but we generally approach them in certain ways. We focus upon god and goddess, rather than a single deity or a collection of deities. A lot of the symbolism is shared among Wiccans, even though specific applications can be quite different.
I keep thinking about my personal blog. I just don’t find I have enough to write about, or I’m writing about things in other places (such as here). My interests have also broadened since I created that blog, and I’m not sure how to deal with that, since blogs tend to be about a particular topic. I’d probably be writing more about Steampunk than Wicca over there at the moment. (And just to complicate things, I’m also juggling with the care of my mother after a stroke, which has provided its own insights.)
in short, I’m terrible at marketing myself. Always have been.