The New Polytheism (Revised Edition)

The title of this book is, in my opinion, deceptive. The author is actually discussing the fragmentation of the Western cultural sphere. If one regards monotheism as a general descriptor for centralized value systems then polytheism would be a logical descriptor for a less centralized value system.

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However the author does not address actual religious experience or belief--these words are merely metaphors for "modes of meaning" so far as I can tell. The author is so far from actually understanding polytheism that he doesn't really believe that it exists. "The great polytheist cultures . . . have in actual practice been composed of communities of men and women who worship one God or Goddess, or at least they worship one at a time." He defines such practice as consecutive monotheisms. He is unable to conceive of a culture in which more than one deity can be a living presence in any person's experience. In short, this book is a waste of time for anyone actually interested in religion rather than psychology or social currents.

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