University degrees in Occultism

The growth of Wicca in the early 20th Century was somewhat negligible. Modern Day Wiccas enjoyed some interest and limited growth after Gerald Gardner’s 1954 book Witchcraft Today. Gardner is thought of as the founder of modern-day Wicca. In the early 1990's Wiccan saw a surge in growth and gained credibility as a religion when several Wiccan/Goddess groups attended the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993 and took center stage in main sessions.

In 2013, Michael Snyder wrote in The Fastest Growing Religion in America is Witchcraft: “It has been estimated that the number of Americans that are Wiccans is doubling every 30 months, and at this point there are more than 200,000 registered witches and approximately 8 million unregistered practitioners of Wicca.  And it is important to remember that Wicca is just one form of witchcraft.  There are many other “darker” forms of witchcraft that are also experiencing tremendous growth.”

That is probably fairly accurate, and the trend continues today. Unfortunately, some Wiccans who come to the faith find little difference between their practices and beliefs as Wiccans with what they find in many churches and wonder why they left one for the other. Baylor University offers a certificate in Enneagram occultism, and other "Christian" institutions and churches are climbing on that bandwagon.

So is it little surprise that a secular British university offers master’s degree in magic and the occult: “The University of Exeter is seeking to harness growing interest in the subjects with a course that will explore the history and impact of witchcraft and magic around the world on society and science.

“The multidisciplinary degree, which starts in September 2024, will draw on history, literature, philosophy, archaeology, sociology, psychology, drama and religion to show the role of magic on the west and the east.

“Prof Emily Selove, who leads the course, said: “A recent surge in interest in magic and the occult inside and outside academia lies at the heart of the most urgent questions of our society. Decolonisation, the exploration of alternative epistemologies, feminism, and anti-racism are at the core of this programme.”

They also point out: “The 2022 census found a rise in the number of people identifying as pagans and wiccans in the UK, while shamanism was the fastest-growing religion.

The mission field for the churches that desire to be faithful to the Great Commission, has moved to their neighborhood.”

https://mailchi.mp/b48e8e3cf9a3/the-fruit-of-a-prophet?e=169825fd77