Mixed Blessing: Market-mediated Religious Authority in Neopaganism

Diego Renallo, Pauline Maclaran, Lorna Stevens

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Abstract

This research explores how marketplace dynamics affect religious authority in the context of Neopagan religion. Drawing on an interpretivist study of Wiccan practitioners in Italy, we reveal that engagement with the market may cause considerable, ongoing tensions, based on the inherent contradictions that are perceived to exist between spirituality and commercial gain. As a result, market success is a mixed blessing that can increase religious authority and influence, but is just as likely to decrease authority and credibility. Using an extended case study method, we propose a theoretical framework that depicts the links between our informants’ situated experiences and the macro-level factors affecting religious authority as it interacts with market-mediated dynamics at the global level. Overall, our study extends previous work in macromarketing that has looked at religious authority in the marketplace) and how the processes of globalization are affecting religion.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)425-442
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Macromarketing
Volume38
Issue number4
Early online date28 Jun 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2016

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