A Practical Definition of Pagan
Created | Updated May 14, 2008
The word Pagan is often a misunderstood one. The meaning of this word is dependent on many factors. Namely, who is saying the word, and to whom the word is being applied. The goal of this entry is to cover the myriad ways in which this word is used, and come up with a practical definition that can work for everyone.
Origins
First lets take a look at where it all began, the origin of the word pagan.
The word pagan is Middle English taken from the Latin word paganus, which means "country dweller". This is derived from the Latin word pagus, which means "country" or "rural area".
When Good Words Go Bad
Seems innocent enough, but soon a nice little word that described nice people who lived outside the cities began to have all sorts of connotations. Today, people who live in metropolitan areas usually look upon those who do not with disdain. The same was probably true in the days of the Roman Empire as well.
Back then, as it is now, things always seemed to begin in the cities, and eventually trickled down into the country villages. The country villages were always behind in the latest news, fashion, and spiritual revolutions. Whatever religion that may sweeping the cities probably was not practiced out in the country right away. Therefore the pagani were probably out of step whenever a new religion came along. It just took longer for the missionaries to convert the farmers (if they ever did at all!) who were spread out in the country than it did the centralized population centers of the cities. So the result was the pagani would continue practicing the old religion after the new religion had supplanted it in the cities.
From their point of view, the metropolitan had many reasons to disdain a pagan. A pagan dressed funny, worked in the dirt all day, was ignorant, illiterate, and uneducated. To top it off a pagan even worshiped the wrong gods!
The Establishment Speaks
If one would look up the word pagan in a dictionary, you could find definitions like these:
- n. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew.
- n. A heathen.
- n. One who has no religion.
- n. A non-Christian.
- n. A hedonist.
- n. One who worships false gods.
- n. An idolater.
- n. One who does not acknowledge God.
- adj. Not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish.
- adj. Professing no religion.
- adj. Not acknowledging God.
There are two things that are wrong with going with the dictionary definition:
- Biased towards the predominantly Judeo-Christian Western culture.
- Too broad of a definition.
The Judeo-Christian bias continues the derogatory use of this word. It has been shown that the origin of the word had developed outside Judeo-Christian culture, yet this adoption of it continues to this day. Also the broadness of the definition is a problem. Since it is an exclusionary definition, many who would take umbrage at being labeled as "Pagan" are labeled none the less. Using the dictionary definition of the word pagan, it would include Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Traditional Native Americans, even Agnostics and Atheists!
That which was old is NEW again
There are those who would not take umbrage at having the label "Pagan"1 applied to them. In fact, some would revel in it.
The Neo-Pagan subculture is a quickly growing one. Neo-Paganism covers a very wide variety of beliefs, practices, and lifestyles. What connects them all that they accept the same label of Pagan?
Neo-Pagan beliefs are typically (but not exclusively) oriented on the seasonal cycle. Most are polytheistic, but just as many are pantheistic, and some are even monotheistic. Many have Animist beliefs. Many paths combine some or all of these elements. There are countless manifestations of beliefs and worldviews that can be considered Pagan. The beliefs share by Pagans today are so wide and varied, it is impossible to name a single belief or group of beliefs that connect them all.
What does connect the far-flung community of Pagans with the vast variety of beliefs is the fact that they have beliefs. Pagans have not merely excused themselves from Judaism, Islam, or Christianity, but have embraced beliefs and a worldview outside of those religions long ago established. Paganism is not defined by a lack of beliefs as the dictionaries would lead us to believe but for embracing a belief that is outside that of the established Orthodoxy.2
The Practical Definition
Pagan: n. One who adheres to a belief system outside that of established Orthodoxy.
In my opinion, Paganism will always be a minority religion. If a specific path grows to such a point where it becomes integrated into the dominant culture, it is no longer that which is "outside the city walls" but another established orthodoxy and no longer a Pagan path. On reflection, I suppose 'pagus' could translate as "someone on the outside" 'outside' being literal as well as figurative. But that is being poetic, not scholarly.
