Catherine Edwards Sanders strikes me as an intelligent, compassionate woman who truly believes that despite its challenges past and present, Christianity remains the one and only way to Divinity. Funded by a Christian source and written to a Christian audience, her book aims to explain what Wicca and Neo-Paganism are, why people continue to leave the Church to pursue them, and what Christians can do to counteract this exodus.
Before I address the difficulties I had with Wicca’s Charm, I’d like to give the author credit for owning up to the hypocrisy of her religion on numerous occasions throughout the book. I was also glad to see her call on fellow Christians to be more environmentally conscious and to recognize women as spiritual equals. And though I’m sure this wasn’t her intent, I’m also grateful for the questions she raised about my faith – questions that have challenged me to look beyond the latest mass-market Wiccan publication and examine the history of Western Paganism from an academic perspective.
Edwards-Sanders garnered still more respect by pointing out how many Wiccans and Neo-Pagans are hypocrites. Many of us shake a disapproving finger at consumer culture with one hand while forking over cash for the latest ritual gear or tarot deck with the other. If Wiccans and Neo-Pagans weren’t spending increasingly large amounts of money on occult books, jewelry, clothing, and ritual tools, we wouldn’t see these things alongside other merchandise at mainstream retailers. How is this consistent with Neo-Paganism’s tenants of simplicity and sustainability?
Positives aside, the biggest problem I had with this book was the author’s attempt to appear balanced and objective when she was actually neither. It was impossible for Sanders to objectively compare and contrast another religion with her own because she came to the keyboard already convinced her way was the ”right” way. Because of this, most of her writing came across as a scattered and passive-aggressive attempt to prove why Christianity is true and Wicca is false.
Yet another challenge was Sanders’ hypocrisy when discussing a Pagan creation myth. When she questioned Wiccans and Neo-Pagans about why they chose their current path over Christianity, one of the most frequent answers was “It empowers women, unlike Christianity.” The author then discusses why she feels Wicca isn’t empowering for women, citing the supposed fallacy of the matriarchal myth as well as the womanizing tendencies of a man who influenced early Wicca, Aleister Crowley.
To Neo-Pagans who practice Goddess Worship, the matriarchal myth (the theory that all of society was matrilineal and matriarchal prior to the establishment of Christianity) isn’t a myth at all – it’s a conviction. Though I’m in agreement with the author and prominent Wiccans like NPR correspondent Margot Adler that the theory’s historical accuracy is questionable, Sanders is hypocritical for citing academic references to tear it down while not subjecting Christianity’s creation myth to equal scrutiny. There is far more evidence that suggests why the latter is less plausible than the former. She also went to great lengths to convince her readers that accurate interpretation of the Bible shows how Christianity empowers women. I don’t mean to nay-say, but I have a hard time understanding how this could be the case when Eve is portrayed as the bearer of original sin. Perhaps Sanders was right when she said, ”A myth does not have to be true to be meaningful.” 
Every serious Neo-Pagan who reads this book will find opportunities for growth within its pages (though they probably won’t be the opportunities the author intended to present). It is worth reading for this reason alone.
Level: Initiate to Elder
Grades:
Offers practical information that can be used now: B
Approachable and easy to understand: C
Intellectually credible: C
Overall: C
I haven’t read this book, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued. I’ll have to look for a copy next time I get my hands on some spending money – I’m kinda broke at the moment.
Tell me, how does it compare to ‘Pagans & Christians: The Personal Spiritual Experience’ by Gus DiZerega? I found that book to be a little less forgiving on the Christian side. Perhaps if you put both books together you would get one book that’s a little closer to objective (not that you’ll ever get complete objectivity in the subject of religion).
Namaste.
… BTW, would you mind if I placed your site in my blog roll?
Thanks.
- John
http://www.thepagelessbook.com
Pageless,
Good question – I’m not sure how it compares to the title you mentioned (yet another for my reading list!).
And I’m honored to be added to your blogroll. I’ll be happy to return the favor.
A year or two ago, I started doing a chapter by chapter review of this same book. Unfortunately, I quit after the second chapter, as I was having trouble even reading the book. In many ways, I applauded Sanders’ attempts at taking an honest look at another faith. But at the same time, I felt that she tried to generalize too much, failing to acknowledge that there was a much greater breadth of opinions and views amongs Pagans than the most popular one, the one she chose to focus on. And while I have no problem with her focusing on a single expression of Pagan faith, I felt she failed to make it clear that she was doing such.
In short, the Paganism she studied and criticized bore little resemblance to the Paganisms practiced and cherished by myself and those I most often associate with.
Jarred,
I completely agree – her definition of objectivity seems closer to what we would call generalization.
It was a difficult book to get through, one that I would definitely not call good journalism. If I hadn’t already resolved to review it, I wouldn’t have read more than the first couple chapters either.
Though it’s a gentler kind of evangelism (as many others have said before), it’s still dripping with the familiar “my way is right and yours is wrong” judgment so many Christians seem unable to overcome. This plus the over-generalization you mentioned made it most unpleasant.
[...] Wicca’s Charm by Catherine Edwards Sanders [...]
I came across this page while looking into this book to study. I am a Christian, and as one, I was looking into this book to more sensitively get a start into why people choose Wiccan beliefs. I’m not interested in bashing another faith, simply understanding why they choose it. I would like to say that many people narrowly accuse “us” as Christians of many things when it is often more of a vocal minority that is most active, just as the author may have sought out the more vocal. Without having read the book yet, I can imagine that her small book is not meant to be a definitive comparison between the two faiths. I would imagine that to be a much larger book. As you mentioned it is a book by a Christian author and if there are questions about the scientific research to back claims by the Bible; there are mountains of books already written on that topic alone, some good, some not. As far as her ideas going in the direction of “I’m right, you’re wrong,” isn’t that how we all treat other faiths to a degree? I have people of other faiths come to me the same way. I mean, if we’ve chosen a path, don’t we believe it to be the right one? I do believe that Christians in vast majority have done more damage by trying to forcefully convince people and not invite people (Jesus taught us to invite, not push!). I just wanted to let you know that your comments have helped me to have an even more open look at the book and if I read it, not to take it as a complete look at the Wiccan faith but perhaps more of a general introduction. If there are better books to research Wicca, I would ask that you post those on Amazon, etc., so those of us who are looking to find out more, have a resource. Thank you for your space.
Melissa,
Thank you for visiting and sharing your thoughts. I agree with several of the points you made – one is how the “vocal minority” of any group can cast an unflattering light on the silent majority. We see many examples of this on a regular basis, and parties from all faiths share the guilt.
One I respectfully disagree with -
“As far as her ideas going in the direction of “I’m right, you’re wrong,” isn’t that how we all treat other faiths to a degree?”
The idea that there is only “one way” is by and large unique to the Abrahamic Religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism), and has been the fuel that’s fed the fires of persecution stoked by each from their inception to present day. In my opinion, this idea is counter-intuitive because it demands that God – expansive, all-knowing, all-seeing God – conform to ideas constructed by the human mind regarding His ultimate nature. My point I guess is that religion is a man-made structure that the full understanding and workings of God can never fit within. We convince ourselves otherwise to make us feel more at ease with the unknown.
I’ve written a few other posts on this topic under the “Christianity” category if you’re interested – though I don’t imagine you’ll care much for what I have to say.
Regardless, I’m grateful for your visit and for your contribution to this discussion.
Jerome
Actually, I’m really interested in what you have to say. I’m not above criticism. I think it’s good. It makes me look at my faith, and also how I live it out. I didn’t mean to push the right/wrong thing, but aren’t you saying I’m wrong? Just curious. I did think later today about how singular the path is in these three Abrahamic faiths. I also agree that all three have chosen massively destructive means to “convert” people. I don’t agree with any of those methods, by the way. Faith is a choice to be made, and I don’t think many Christians make it very appealing. It is for me for my reasons, but I’m still curious as to what literature you’d recommend for me to see why someone like yourself would choose your path. I have no interest in picking it apart. I’m curious and would rather hear from sincere people involved than someone outside. Thanks for your time.
“I didn’t mean to push the right/wrong thing, but aren’t you saying I’m wrong?”
Very astute observation – one I failed to make myself.
This also shows me however that we each base our conclusions on circular reasoning. Such is the way with all things related to faith, invariably. I say there is more than one way because I believe it is so; you’ve said there is only one way because you believe it is so. I love discussions on this very thing, especially when both parties are engaged on this level.
As far as books, that’ll take some thought. I’ll put together and post a list within the next week or so.
Thanks again Melissa…