Asatru: A Native European Spirituality | Stephen A. McNallen

Runestone Press, 278 Pages, ISBN 979-8389786264

When Steve McNallen pledged his loyalty to the Gods and Goddesses of Northern Europe in the late 1960s, he could have hardly imagined the far-reaching implications of this personal act of devotion. Now, over forty years later, Asatru (an Icelandic word that means true to the Gods) is one of the fastest growing new religious movements in America. In Asatru: A Native European Spirituality, McNallen describes the origins and development of Asatru, its kinship with other tribal and ethnic religions, and the cosmological and philosophical underpinnings of this dynamic and inspiring faith. He outlines the rituals, seasonal festivals, and code of ethics embraced by modern practitioners of Asatru. More importantly, McNallen explains his vision of what Asatru can and must become. Asatru is more than just another empty offering on the spiritual smorgasbord of post-religious America. For men and women of European descent, Asatru is the key to unlocking our vibrant spiritual heritage.

Stephen A. McNallen has been a soldier, a journalist, and a schoolteacher. He has travelled the world, from Burma to Bosnia, in search of insight and adventure. In 1971, McNallen founded the Viking Brotherhood, the first legally recognized religious organization dedicated to the Gods and Goddesses of Northern Europe. Today, McNallen is the head of the Asatru Folk Assembly, the preeminent Asatru organization on the North American continent. A proud native Texan, Steve McNallen currently resides in Northern California with his wife, Sheila.