Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
20. Can Anyone be Called a “Witch”?
Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
Francesca Po [+]
Metta Center for Nonviolence
Francesca Po, DPhil (University of Oxford), is a scholar of religion and nonreligion with research interests in religious change, alternative spirituality, and contemporary witchcraft. She is a member of the Board of Directors at the Metta Center for Nonviolence, is an executive leader in spiritual formation for the Salesians of Don Bosco, served in the US Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, and is the author-editor of Religion and Peace (2022) and The Study of Ministry (2019).
Description
The term “witch” has been used in a derogatory way in religious and cultural contexts. Wicca reappropriated the term to empower its practitioners. In contemporary culture, “witch” can describe individuals related to pagan, indigenous, or esoteric practices. Using the term responsibly and respecting the origins of witchcraft practices is important.