[The focus is on the] council race in the borough of Queens that under normal circumstances wouldn't get locals terribly excited, much less have any national implications.
Why is this year different? For starters, the race between the Democrat and the Republican is actually competitive, which certainly isn't always the case in New York City....
Far more important, however, is that the GOP nominee, Dan Halloran, is a practicing Pagan. And not just any Pagan. Halloran is the "First Atheling," or King, of New Normandy, which is the Greater New York Area branch of the Thod faith of pre-Christian Heathen religions.
The Web site of Halloran's tribe says it is "dedicated to reviving the folkways of the northern European people" and that its followers practice "Thodish Belief, which emphasizes the bonds of the community and the development of a worldview and cultural ethos that our ancient forebears would have honored, and uses these tools to forge a connection between the individual and the divine. We believe in and honor the Gods and Goddesses of the North, spirits of the land, and the memories of our ancestors."
Not exactly the kind of campaign literature the Republican National Committee would write, and indeed, Halloran's faith isn't necessarily going to make his public life a walk in the park.
When the Queens Tribune, a local weekly with close Democratic ties, wrote a front page story about Halloran and his Heathenism back in September, Halloran was already hesitant to speak about his beliefs.
"I am not comfortable with injecting my religion into my politics," Halloran told the paper. "I grew up born and raised Roman Catholic. I went to Jesuit schools. Most of my life has been in [a] traditional Irish household."
"I don't think any of this is really relevant to the City Council race," he added. "It's like talking about what church you pray at. That you understand the divine is the most important part."
Since then, the novelty of Halloran's religion -- as well as photos of him in various regalia celebrating Thodish rites -- have made for great play, and plays on words. "Grand Ol' Pagan" said the Village Voice headline. "Out of the broom closet," Sarah Pike, a religious studies professor, wrote at ReligionDispatches.
No surprise that Halloran has generally declined to speak in detail about his religious practices since then, except to assert that he believes in God and is "a man of faith."
In truth, "Pagan" still isn't a label that resonates with most voters, even in New York City, which is not -- contrary to widespread red-state belief -- a hotbed of Paganism. (Why else would Michael Bloomberg have spent so much time and money cultivating the black churches if they weren't a potent force? Not to mention Irish Catholics and the Orthodox Jews of the outer boroughs.)
