The historical revival and contemporary innovation of ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian goddesses in 21st century Goddess Spirituality in the UK and USA

Abstract

This thesis investigates contemporary Goddess Spirituality (hereafter GS) in the United Kingdom and United States of America, investigating to what extent Goddess devotees revive and innovate ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian goddess cults in the 21st century. Previous studies of GS’s historicity have focused on engagement with prehistoric archaeology at the close of the 20th century. This thesis, instead, sheds light on GS’s engagement with ancient historical goddesses in the present century, in light of the internet age and inclusive of all genders. Utilising an interdisciplinary methodology, this study contextualises GS receptions of ancient goddesses through three central hermeneutic themes, highlighting its distinctive theistic and psycho-spiritual epistemology, in contrast to the academic atheism of historical scholarship. GS (re)interpretations of tangible antique heritage from the Mediterranean and Egypt, located at archaeological sites and in museums, are analysed, followed by case studies on three selected goddesses: Aphrodite, Aset-Isis, and Sekhmet. Through a method of compare and contrast, common GS interpretations and examples of religio-spiritual praxis are studied to identify examples of historical anchors to ancient cults, and instances of modern innovation and deliberate deviation. The aim of this thesis is to collect up to date data on under-studied aspects of this contemporary spiritual movement, to contextualise and problematise receptions of the past, and to advocate the benefits of multivocality between historical professionals and this special interest group. In so doing, this research contributes new knowledge to the field of historical studies (and intellectually adjacent fields) and argues in favour of creating mutually beneficial dialogues between scholars, heritage professionals, and Goddess devotees.

Date of Award	7 May 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Ronald E Hutton (Supervisor) & Genevieve Liveley (Supervisor)