This seems to be the talk of the day across a number of venues. The questions tend to revolve around Hellenismos and it being a Reconstructionist religion. There are questions about where the boundaries are between Hellenic Paganism, Hellenic Polytheism, and Hellenic Reconstructionism. What is the importance of myths, religious obligation, and ethics? Is there a difference of opinion between different Hellenic Reconstructionists on what separates them and “Neopagans”?

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I would like to share a summary of a conversation I recently had with a friend, and fellow Hellenist. He is finding himself out of favor within certain circles of Hellenics, Religio Romana, and “progressive” Kemetics. These circles would prefer practicing an open-ended, complex mixture of beliefs, rather than a reconstruction of the culturally specific religions they claim to adhere.

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I recently had a person email me, asking my thoughts on the Heliogenna festival created by Hector Lugo (at least I believe it’s his creation), from the HellenicPagan Yahoo Group. Can this be considered Hellenismos? Is it valid reconstruction? Should Hellenic Polythists accept it? I felt this was worth a public response.
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Reconstructionism can be defined as a method of reconstructing an ancient, pre-Christian, culturally specific religion based on the scholarly use of the best available evidence, and using actual examples of worship with the most plausible interpretation to create a modern religion. There exist several prime examples of these efforts including Kemetic (Egyptian), Celtic, Hellenismos (Greek), and Religio Romana (Roman). This definition has some very specific points that need to be expanded on to understand Reconstructionism, and to understand why some practices just do not qualify.
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One of the issues debated for a very long time, not only in Hellenismos but also within the Reconstructionist Community as a whole, is the issue of relying on primary verses secondary sources. Most people do not understand this issue, and so I want to spell it out in detail.
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I received The Gods of Reason, by Timothy Jay Alexander, because I was impressed with his previous books, Hellenismos Today, and A Beginner’s Guide to Hellenismos. I began reading this book with some unease, as I knew that it was a theological and philosophical discussion. I am not an intellectual or a scholar, so I was worried that this work would be over my head.

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If you are a reconstructionist, how does the following statement make you feel?
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I have seen this practice cropping up from time to time in recent months, either with individuals or as part of a specific group. I have had no name for it, so I created one. Read the rest of this entry »