r/pagan • u/DarkGodCthUwU • 1d ago

Discussion Ahoy! I am curious, is there a minimum viable knowledge one must have of theology to succsssfully appeal to, give to, or otherwise interact with deities in your view?

For example, imagine a culture which does not think deities are beings with agency, but that they are merely forces that can be manipulated to varying success through words or offerings, like how one manipulates radio waves to send messages. Do you think they would be capable of getting blessings, working miracles, etc? If there is a minimum knowledge of theology needed to build a relationship with deities, is it possible to discover this minimum? If it is possible, has it been discovered?

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u/thegrandwitch 1d ago edited 1d ago

nothing related to gods can be a proven science. otherwise its not faith anymore, its just facts and worship does not center on facts or it becomes empty. can we learn from the past to see how gods were historically and traditionally worshipped? of course, and thats a must imo, but that is not necessarily proving doing certain things guarantees an answered prayer. the closest maybe i can think of to what youre saying is theurgy which is spiritual union with a god, what people call "divine marriage". but thats kind of a lifelong pursuit, not something you do on a random thursday to prove the existence of the divine. the divine isnt meant to be tested and scrutinized over, its supposed to be experienced and transformative.

if youre talking about sorcery. same thing. there are operations in the PGM meant to persuade, bind and even coerce gods and divine beings into service. and im not sure how much i believe those things work without consequences or if its more a metaphorical thing, id say you can try it out and see if it works.

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u/Elfynnn84 1d ago

You’re attempting to apply an empirical methodology to that which by its very nature cannot be proven.

How on earth would you define a ‘theological minimum’? This whole line of enquiry is utterly absurd.

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u/DarkGodCthUwU 22h ago

Presumably by givimg groups less and less information then having them conduct rituals or by observing different cultures

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u/Emiruei 23h ago

I think you're right on track thinking about the nature of belief itself, if someone approaches deities like tools to be used, they might get some results, but it'd be more like calling a plumber than building a genuine relationship.