In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the increasingly popular practice of Wicca, which involves both witchcraft and nature worship. In 2019, there were so many books being written on the topic that Publisher's Weekly declared it “The Season of the Witch.” Wicca has become the new religion of secularity, but its origins date back for millennia. So how do Christians engage with friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers who may embrace its practices and beliefs?
Episode Links
Dr. White released a blog in 2019 with the same title as the Publisher's Weekly article - “The Season of the Witch” - that you can read at churchandculture.org exploring culture's increased fascination with all things Wicca. To show you how quickly this practice is being embraced by culture, you can also read an earlier blog titled, “More Witches than Presbyterians.” Tied with this trend, the blog “New Age Christians” looks at professing Christians who may be dabbling in the occult without even realizing it. And here's a blog looking at the alarming rise of people using tarot cards - again tapping into the occult: “About Those Tarot Cards.” Along these lines, some Christians believe that reading your horoscope is fine. Find out why that's not the case in this blog titled “About That Horoscope App.” And finally, the conversation even dipped into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - for that you can read Dr. White's blog called “Mad About Harry.”
The best series delivered by James Emery White at Mecklenburg Community Church that will serve your research into this topic is called “Paranormal” looking at the world of the occult. Another series that was mentioned during this podcast is a series called “Gender” - one of Meck's most popular series to date.
And to help understand why the younger generations are so much more open to allowing things like the practice of Wicca to enter their hearts and minds, we would suggest reading Dr. White's book Meet Generation Z that you can find through your favorite bookseller.
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