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Neosaxonism
Neosaxonism (also called Neo-Saxon Heathenry or Neo-Saxon Tribalism) is a project to establish a particular new form of culture and way of life and for this to engage a number of people.
Saxon Heathen
'Heathen' means that we seek a way of life in which small communities look after a large part of their own needs and have a good deal of autonomy in ordering their internal affairs. The word also implies that there is a religious system which is up to the task of assisting with the ordering of our activities - and that this is what is usually seen as a pagan system.
'Saxon Heathen' or 'Anglo-Saxon Heathen' implies that we identify ourselves as belonging to a people and culture with its roots in the England before the Norman Conquest - i.e. Anglo-Saxon England.
We believe that wisdom is the most crucial asset for making our way in the world and so Neosaxonism emphasizes the value of wisdom.
So Neosaxonism is a proposed system for people to develop their wisdom and to come together in small communities which are autonomous.
A cultural framework
Neosaxonism is not a full-blown religion but a cultural framework to form the basis of a way of looking at the world and for living in it. Nevertheless it can be seen as having some of the aspects of a light-weight religion.
Neosaxonism and Religion
Neosaxons believe in the need for heavy-weight religion. It is religion which human societies use to put their wisdom tradition to practical use in shaping the values of its members and the activities that they put their energies into. Without religion everybody has to stumble about in the dark and try and find their own way. The task is too difficult and life too short to get good results.
Neosaxons reject Christianity as suitable for us. On the first count we consider it is not a comprehensive religion. At least in the forms that we encounter it today it appears to give little good guidance as how we should be living our lives or how we should be trying to order the wider society. On the second count the Christianity we encounter appears to be hostile to the rational and philosophical. The claims of the religion are difficult for those who think in a rational and philosophical way to make sense of and Christianity appears to have no overt philosophical underpinning to it that would enable it to argue its case in the public arena.
Instead Neosaxons look to pre-christian religion to form a basis for a religion for today.
Neosaxons are interested in 'Asatru' and 'Odinism' - which are modern forms of paganism that looks back to the pre-christian religion of Scandinavia. However while Odinism might turn out to be the best religion for some people, Neosaxons don't consider that these can provide the whole answer to what we need. In particular we believe those with pretensions to leadership of Neosaxon clans and communities need acquaintance with religions of greater intellectual depth and better connection to the main cultural currents of Western civilisation. So Neosaxons also look to Indopersian cultural and religious traditions such as Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as that of the classical Greeks and Romans.
Original March 4012 HE / Updated January & September 4013 / May 4014/ 4025