Reconstructionism vs. Revivalism

[lovesong]

How do you guys differentiate between these two approaches? I've considered myself a reconstructionist for a long while, but only more recently learned about revivalism as a separate thing. I'm still struggling with understanding exactly what the distinction is, and so far my experience with the terms suggests they're fundamentally the same with slightly different levels of strictness, but I'm curious how you all see them. Are they different? What are the differences and similarities? How do you identify around those terms and why?

 

[Bear Wild]

How do you guys differentiate between these two approaches? I've considered myself a reconstructionist for a long while, but only more recently learned about revivalism as a separate thing. I'm still struggling with understanding exactly what the distinction is, and so far my experience with the terms suggests they're fundamentally the same with slightly different levels of strictness, but I'm curious how you all see them. Are they different? What are the differences and similarities? How do you identify around those terms and why?

I am rather isolated so had not heard that they were two approaches but from what I have now read they seem complimentary. The reconstructionist attempts to understand what we know about and feel is accurate about the religion of the past but because the pre-christian religions were oral traditions and much was lost in translation by Christian authors the revivalist attempts to fill in what was lost into a meaningful practice. The two together seem more meaningful for a current religion of today.

 

[Callisto]

How do you guys differentiate between these two approaches? I've considered myself a reconstructionist for a long while, but only more recently learned about revivalism as a separate thing. I'm still struggling with understanding exactly what the distinction is, and so far my experience with the terms suggests they're fundamentally the same with slightly different levels of strictness, but I'm curious how you all see them. Are they different? What are the differences and similarities? How do you identify around those terms and why?

I'm late to the discussion so I'll just say in short that revivals are concerned mainly with the spirit ("the why") of a tradition and have little to no emphasis on whether the form of their practice bears resemblance to a tradition. Whereas reconstructions are concerned with restoring the tradition in a modern context, reestablishing the form and the spirit, albeit in a modern context. The intent is not to reinvent the wheel but to take an existing wheel and restore it to function in a modern environment.