The Dionysian Naturalist

Good Reasons for Bad Literature Reviews A Flash Autoethnography of Academic Erasure Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Good Reasons for Bad Literature Reviews is an autoethnographic reflection on how academic erasure operates through ordinary micro-practices—like the placement of books, the structure of digital folders, and the categories we silently invoke—which led Mellinger to omit Carol Wayne White’s vital contributions to Religious Naturalism. Combining confession with methodology, the essay exposes erasure as an ongoing accomplishment and proposes practices of repair—such as “marginalized-voices inventories” and “ghost-checks”—to cultivate more inclusive, self-aware scholarship. 1. The Scene It was a late morning in my Santa Barbara apartment, the coastal light sharpening the edges of things. A cooling cup of coffee left its ring on the desk amid scattered drafts and half‑read books. My laptop hummed softly as the folder labeled “Religious Naturalism—Key Figures” ope...

  🌿 Resources for Dionysian Naturalism, Religious Naturalism, and Skeptical Paganism This living page gathers books, websites, videos, podcasts, and communities that illuminate Religious Naturalism, naturalistic Paganism, skeptical witchcraft, and Dionysian spirituality. New work appears constantly—if I’m missing a gem, please share it and I’ll add it! 🎒 Quick Start: Beginner’s Starter Kit The Sacred Depths of Nature — Ursula Goodenough. A lyrical, science-grounded doorway into religious naturalism. Atheopaganism — Mark Green. Practical, non-theistic ritual and community-building. Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer. Reciprocity, wonder, and Indigenous knowledge. Cosmos — Carl Sagan (book/series). Awe as a spiritual discipline. Podcast: The Wonder: Science-Based Paganism — Accessible episodes on practice and ethics. 📚 Top Recommended Books (with brief notes) Ursula Goodenough – The Sacred Depths of Nature (classic RN; devotion through...

The Rise of Religious Naturalism:   A New Public Theology of Sacred Nature Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ...