Critical Analysis of Anthropological Concepts in the Teachings of Bogumil Gasanov as an Example of Methodological Problems of Neo-Pagan Reconstruction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54700/sfmcjd63Keywords:
Bogumil Gasanov, Rodnovery, Neopaganism, reconstruction, methodology, syncretism, Slavic paganism, source studies, critical analysisAbstract
The article is devoted to a critical analysis of the methodological foundations for reconstructing the Slavic pagan worldview, undertaken by one of the key ideologists of modern Rodnovery (Slavic Native Faith) — sorcerer Bogumil (Donat) Gasanov. The aim of the research is to identify methodological errors and contradictions inherent in his approach. The study demonstrates that Gasanov’s methodology represents a syncretic collage based on the principle of a subjective understanding of the «unity of the pagan world». This leads to the arbitrary combination of heterogeneous sources: from Zoroastrianism and shamanism to ancient philosophy and East Slavic folklore. Such blending, carried out without critical analysis and consideration of the historical and cultural context of the sources, results in the creation of an eclectic and internally contradictory worldview system. This system cannot be considered a scientific reconstruction but is an authorial neo-mythological construct. The results of the analysis are significant for religious studies, the critique of modern neo-traditionalist movements, and the understanding of the mechanisms behind the formation of syncretic religious systems.
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