The problem of Reconstructionism

[WebenBanu]

I'm a Reconstructionist, which means that I try to re-create the religion of a particular culture in a way which the people of that culture would recognize as their own. I do this because I believe that these people had an intimate relationship with the deities of my dedication, and that those deities played a major role in creating that culture and shaping the form of the religion which those people practiced into a format which They felt was most appropriate and pleasing to Themselves. So basically, I do this because I feel that it is a way of showing my devotion to Their cause, and also a tried and true method for connecting with Them and learning all that They have to teach me as a human being.

I believe in these ancient deities because I have felt Them, I have heard Them, and I have seen Them. It's not really what I'd call a matter of faith, per se- I'm the sort of person who's more prone to logic and practicality, and I base most of my philosophies on experience. But when I ask my gods about Who They are, They usually respond by sitting back with an enigmatic smile and wait for me to figure it out. So I go out searching, and for my answers I look to the people who have had the most experience with these Beings before me- the ancients whose lives were shaped by these gods. I look for my answers in books, museums, and lectures provided by respectable members of academic communities, because I value the dependability of their facts and their methods, and I gradually piece together a theology and a practice which facilitates my relationship with the divine.

But what happens when the academics' view of history changes? From time to time a new breakthrough will be made which significantly alters the way we look at history, and we revise our theories accordingly. As scholars we may learn amazing new things, but what about those of us who had a spiritual stake in the way things were before? What do we do when our theological foundation shifts beneath our feet?

I view my understanding of Kemetic religion as a model- it helps me to understand the gods of ancient Egypt, and it predicts the way that They and the world of Their creation will react when I behave a certain way. So far I've found it to be fairly effective in its function, though that doesn't necessarily mean that it is always accurate in its depiction. To compare it to a different field, which may help illustrate my view, it's a lot like the way we use Bohr's model of the atom to teach people how atoms interact with one another. Bohr's model shows us electrons orbiting neatly in concentric circles around a nucleus. This is absolutely not the way that electrons behave- atoms don't look anything like this, and we know this. But the model is effective for predicting how atoms bond with one another, and for teaching students the basics of this process. After this is learned, students are shown more complex models of atoms which bring them closer to understanding what an atom is really like. Likewise, models of reconstructionist religions may not be entirely accurate when they are first constructed, but at the time they are created they are tested and evaluated by how well they work in spiritual practice. Whenever we gain new insight into the nature of the subject, we should reflect on how and why our spirituality worked under the old model. Then we may incorporate that experience with the new knowledge, and create a revised version of the model which will be even more effective and bring us ever closer to a true understanding of the nature of divinity. This is a process that can, and should, reflect our growth within the religion throughout our lifetime- it is the sign of a living, vibrant, and active faith.

This is my take on the issue; I would love to hear from other reconstructionists on how they deal with this problem.  

[FireonYce]

The people of Egypt were by Far the most effiecent during thier time. I Have been told by a Psychic before I was ever pagan or such that I was a reincarnated Pharaoh, I never believed it but I started having strange dreams years later after I started dealing in Pagan arts and such. But back on topic. I feel that you can never recreate a time, or the people in it. Because everything was different then. You can make the same things, wear the same things, but since then many things they believed have now become obsolite. They were very advanced for their years don't get me wrong, but the Egyptian belief that the brain was an unimportant organ was slightly off. Along with a few other things. I think that holding the beliefs of a time are sometimes very hard, especially with the changes in its Mythology, I mean there were cults and smaller temples to the gods and then One day the new Pharoah makes it law that they are to worship Ra as the supreme god of everything. Its just that with things like that always changing and developing how are you suppose to tell what was a belief during the wole empire. Its just that the more and more is unturned the more and more changes.  

[WebenBanu]

Christo Minaverus

But back on topic. I feel that you can never recreate a time, or the people in it. Because everything was different then. You can make the same things, wear the same things, but since then many things they believed have now become obsolite.

*nods* A lot of things have changed since then, and the way we look at the world is very different now. It can be difficult to align oneself with such an alien point of view, but that's why cultural study is so important. Learning about another way of looking at things also helps us to develop mentally and culturally, and in this case spiritually. It is certainly not an easy task, but that's no reason not to take it on. If everything were easy, then there wouldn't be much room for growth, nor would it be much of a gift to give the deities.

Christo Minaverus

They were very advanced for their years don't get me wrong, but the Egyptian belief that the brain was an unimportant organ was slightly off.

The brain was considered an unimportant organ spiritually, because the seat of being was held to be in the heart. Several organs didn't hold spiritual significance; the brain simply seems like an amazing example of cultural difference to us because most modern cultures hold it to be so important. However, medical papyri show that ancient Egyptian doctors actually did understand that the brain was an important organ medically, and was treated as such.

Christo Minaverus

Along with a few other things. I think that holding the beliefs of a time are sometimes very hard, especially with the changes in its Mythology, I mean there were cults and smaller temples to the gods and then One day the new Pharoah makes it law that they are to worship Ra as the supreme god of everything.

Well, the only Pharaoh to pass laws about people having to worship such-and-such god as supreme was Akhenaten, and his way of doing things didn't last very long. The ancient Egyptians pretty much viewed every deity as being supreme in His or Her own plane of reference, and Ra was always seen as being a major deity overall. Amn and Atm were also at times addressed as kings over the other gods, however They were also identified with Ra, so that wasn't much of a change. There were some developments in the religion- don't get me wrong.^_^ That's one of the reasons why I don't fret too terribly much over slight differences in the modes of expression of the core concepts between ancient times and now. However, to the ancient Egyptians, the only parts of the religion which were seen to be very important were those aspects which did not change, and it is incredible to see just how little they did change over such a long period of time. For this reason, perhaps, ancient Egyptian religion is eminently suited for the reconstructionist approach.

However, even for those cultures which did change, that is no reason not to study traditional approaches for the same reasons outlined in my original post. Reconstructionism is a means of learning more about the deity and Their way of living, and showing Them your devotion by paying attention to Their rituals and Their history. Even if that history changes over time- and for most cultures it probably will- there are always traditional elements which remain the same.

Christo Minaverus

Its just that with things like that always changing and developing how are you suppose to tell what was a belief during the wole empire. Its just that the more and more is unturned the more and more changes.

Religions have their own format, and their own ideas about the way the world works. Even when they develop over time, you can definitely see the development of specific points of view- it's not like ancient cultures randomly jumped from one idea to the next, without any coherent or recognizable body of thought.^_^ Studying what they did and why they did it will shed light on a specific approach to religion, which can tell you a lot about a people and the gods Who shaped that perspective. Adopting that approach will then facilitate the continuation of that kind of intimate relationship.^_^ That's the goal of reconstructionism.