Core Statement (After Proclus, Platonic Theology Book I, Chapter 3):
Theology concerns those things first by nature according to a given philosophy. Thus, for the philosophy which takes the unit as its highest principle, theology is the study of the divine individuals, and as such concerns not what they are, but Who.
Theological Hermeneutics
Being is conceived theologically as the result of the action of divine individuals. The form of this action is iconic and narrative. The theological interpretation of such icons or narratives consists in explicating the plane or region of Being enacted in them.
Goddesses and Gods of the Ancient Egyptians: A Theological Encyclopedia
Book
Essays on a Polytheistic Philosophy of Religion (New York, NY: Phaidra Editions, 2012). Contains my two articles from The Pomegranate as well as two never-before-published essays.
Articles
“The Theological Interpretation of Myth,” The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27-41. Republished in Essays on a Polytheistic Philosophy of Religion.
“Polycentric Polytheism and the Philosophy of Religion,” The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2008, pp. 207-229. Republished in Essays on a Polytheistic Philosophy of Religion.
“Flower of Fire: Hekate in the Chaldean Oracles,” pp. 140-157 in Bearing Torches: A Devotional Anthology for Hekate, ed. Sannion et al. (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2009). [paperback/ebook]
“The Platonic Zeus,” pp. 139-167 in From Cave to Sky: A Devotional Anthology for Zeus, ed. Melia Suez (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2010).
“The Nature and Functions of Thoth in Egyptian Theology,” pp. 143-157 in The Scribing Ibis: An Anthology of Pagan Fiction in Honor of Thoth, ed. Rebecca Buchanan et al. (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2011).
“The Ashwins and the Dioskouroi: A Theological Comparison,” in Megaloi Theoi: A Devotional Anthology for the Dioskouroi and Helen of Troy (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, forthcoming).
Edward, a special thanks for “Offering to the Gods: A Neoplatonic Perspective.” For me, it’s just what the doctor ordered, as I’m trying to bridge the gap between Plotinus and cultus.
Thank you, Todd, that means a lot coming from you. That piece had such a winding road to publication, changing so much along the way, that I always worried it lacked a certain thematic unity. It had its origins in a nine-page conference paper that was purely a commentary on a few pages of Simplicius.
[...] It is imperative for me to treat those ancestors as if their spirits exist, and those Deities of death and afterlife are real, and worshiped in particular, individual ways: my doubt is mine, and should not infringe on my right actions. I phrase it because I think it is important for pagans and polytheists to voice doubt: the impression is that if one Deity is silent, you move to another – your comfort as a worshiper being paramount, and material or spiritual blessings your due from the Gods. I’m afraid it makes people shy about expressing their silence or doubt, and that hinders the development of a complete, living theology. (Henadology?) [...]
Nothing to do with this particular article….
It would be so great if you could add either categories to your blog, or a search widget. When we look for specific info, we don’t know where to look (chronological archives are insufficient and time consuming)
Yours
Unfortunately the WordPress “theme” this blog presently uses doesn’t support widgets. I appreciate the problem, however, and will give it some thought.
Oh really ? I remember this “theme” is one of the first of WP… but thought it could bear widgets. Thanks anyway.
Well, it might be time to consider a new theme. We shall see. A search widget would be useful even for me!
I’ve added a search box to the bottom of the page. I’m still pondering whether to change themes, but for now, this provides the functionality.
When you find that your life mirrors these ancient stories then they come alive from the heart and one’s search becomes very personal. I feel like I am searching for the missing pieces of Osiris as we speak and if I find the exact hierogyphs used to describe the Re-membering, I will find the pieces of myself. So I am fascinated by how Nepthys transforms into Seshat when “gathering or embracing” the members. I found the hieroglyphs in budge’s book “Osiris”. Is there a word by word translation of the Pyramid texts?? I am teaching myself to read ancient Egyptian so it is slow going.
With respect to studying the Pyramid Texts, I have added http://www.pyramidtextsonline.com/ to the “Theological Resources” at the bottom of the home page. Here you will find complete hieroglyphic transcriptions and English translations of the Pyramid Texts.
You may find it easier, in studying Egyptian, to begin with Middle Egyptian and then proceed to the earlier form found in the Pyramid Texts. There are some excellent grammar books available for Middle Egyptian. In any event, I wish you the best of luck with your studies.
Great !!! Thanks !