ABSTRACT

It is widely believed that the practice of ancient Egyptian religion ceased with the end of pharaonic culture and the rise of Christianity. However, an organised reconstruction and revival of the authentic practice of Egyptian, or Kemetic religion has been growing, almost undocumented, for nearly three decades. Profane Egyptologists is the first in-depth study of the now-global phenomenon of Kemeticism. Presenting key players in their own words, the book utilises extensive interviews to reveal a continuum of beliefs and practices spanning eight years of community growth.

The existence of competing visions of Egypt, which employ ancient material and academic resources, questions the position of Egyptology as a gatekeeper of Egypt's past. Exploring these boundaries, the book highlights the politised and economic factors driving the discipline's self-conception. Could an historically self-imposed insular nature have harmed Egyptology as a field, and how could inclusive discussion help guard against further isolationism?

Profane Egyptologists is both an Egyptological study of Kemeticism, and a critical study of the discipline of Egyptology itself. It will be of value to scholars and students of archaeology and Egyptology, cultural heritage, religion online, phenomenology, epistemology, pagan studies and ethnography, as well as Kemetics and devotees of Egyptian culture.

part I|50 pages

Why Kemeticism?

chapter 1|16 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|16 pages

Establishing orthodoxy

chapter 3|16 pages

Breaking down the doors

part II|36 pages

Pharaonic Religion

chapter 5|21 pages

Faith or decorum?

Tracing Amarna upheaval, mourning and mysticism in text and archaeology

part III|110 pages

Esoterica and Egyptology

chapter 6|14 pages

Early encounters

chapter 7|12 pages

Kemetic Orthodoxy and the House of Netjer

chapter 9|18 pages

Ideologies

chapter 10|11 pages

Practices

chapter 11|22 pages

Objects

chapter 13|11 pages

Conclusion

‘Recon’-ceptualising Egypt