Radical Traditionalists

Joshua Buckley and Michael Moynihan (editors), TYR: Myth - - Culture - - Tradition, Volume 3, ULTRA, Atlanta, Georgia, 2007, 530 pages, $25.00.

Among those who truly believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket are editors Joshua Buckley and Michael Moynihan who have recently published Volume 3 of their provocative journal TYR: Myth - - Culture - - Tradition. Buckley, who hails from Atlanta, and Moynihan, who lives in Waterbury Center, Vermont, claim to be “radical traditionalists.”

Radical traditionalists “reject the modern, materialist reign of quantity over quality, the absence of any meaningful spiritual values, environmental devastation, the mechanization and over-specialization of urban life, and the imperialism of corporate monoculture, with its vulgar values of progress and efficiency.” They yearn for “the small, homogeneous tribal societies that flourished before Christianity - - societies in which every aspect of life was integrated into a holistic system.”

According to the editors, TYR “celebrates the traditional myths, culture, and social institutions of pre-Christian, pre-modern Europe.” It contains a fascinating collection of articles by radical traditionalist and anti-modern thinkers, as well as interviews and reviews of books, films, music, and the arts.

A number of the articles included in TYR deal with pre-Christian paganism. Although the editors stop short of outright promoting paganism, their message seems to be that paganism has been given short shrift by Christian zealots. One of the more interesting articles is entitled “Iceland’s Pagan Renaissance.” To fully appreciate the anti-modernist message of TYR, the reader should possess some previous knowledge of pre-Christian culture, religion, and tradition.

In sharp contrast to the modern myth of progress, James Reagan’s contribution to the journal is a collection of four prophetic Indo-European scenarios depicting the world’s endgame.

Above all, TYR is a book about rebellion - - rebellion against modernism and what some call technofascism - - affluenza, technomania, megalomania, robotism, globalization, and imperialism.

Radical traditionalism is a challenging, thought-provoking concept. But TYR is not for everyone, particularly not the faint of heart, for it offers no spiritual elixir or magic potion to relieve our existential pain. It is neither a fire insurance policy against hell, nor a ticket to heaven. It is not a touchy-feely, self-help, feel-good, be-happy philosophy promising pie-in-the-sky to all. Religious fundamentalists, pacifists, and those in search of a spiritual nirvana are not likely to be drawn to TYR. Although it may not be what we learned in Sunday School, it certainly beats self-serving, materialistic modernity.

Not only is TYR the Bible of radical traditionalists, but it provides skillful interpretations of some important ideas from an earlier era which could prove to be useful in a twenty-first century setting.

Thomas H. Naylor

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