The importance of virtues

On August 26, 2023 in the New York Times, Columnist David French discussed the changes to US understanding of Christianity due to right wing influences. He notes "If theology minus virtue can equal violence, then perhaps theology plus virtue can enable justice."

While Paganism does not have a well developed theology or thealogy*, and since we see our spiritual inspiration in nature, it is still important for us to have a set of virtues to aspire to. I do believe we could develop a type of theo/thealogy in Paganism using animist ideas and bringing a modern understanding to any ancient myths our traditions may contain as well as other other perspectives that could help us, such as feminism, queer studies, indigenous studies and ecology.

Pagans are a diverse people just like any other religious community and we have already seen our Heathen faith being co-opted by right wing ideology. Perhaps if we have a set of virtues, even different ones for different traditions, we could further protect and more easily reject any type of ideology from infecting our faiths. I believe the term infecting is appropriate, as viruses attempt to change our bodies and the bodies of other animals, so do violent ideologies infect our mental bodies. Understanding our own virtues and living them is our best defense. Here is another example of why virtues need to be articulated with Paganism: The Problems of Competitive Witchcraft.

In other posts on the blog I have posted parts of a book I have written about using virtues found in the Charge of the Goddess on our Wheel of the Year. I do hope to have it published at some point. I seriously hope this will start a robust discussion about virtues in Paganism.

*Thealogy is the study of the Goddess and many feminist scholars have developed thealogy, particularly Carol Christ.