Dr. David WaldronDr David Waldron is a researcher and Lecturer in Social Science and the Humanities at the University of Ballarat. David has a diverse range of teaching interests including History of Ideas, Anthropology, Folklore, History, Religious Studies and philosophy. His research interests include folklore studies, moral panics, ancient, medieval and early modern history, anthropology and religious studies with a particular eye to the inter-relationship of history, social identity, religious belief and folklore. He has published numerous articles and collaborated in many publications on the development of folklore and religious beliefs surrounding witchcraft and supernaturalism from the English reformation to the present. He has recently completed publication of "The Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival" with Carolina Academic Press. He is currently engaged in archival research for a new book on Black Dog myths in East Anglia in relation to the social upheaval of the Reformation, Civil War and Industrial revolution.
ACADEMIC HISTORY
Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary) 2004-June 2005 University of Ballarat
PhD – Sociology and Social Theory 1999- Sep 2002
University of Ballarat
Thesis Topic – The Sign of the Witch: Neo-Paganism and the Romantic Episteme.
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 1st class 1998 -
May 1999
University of Ballarat.
Thesis Topic – The Origins and Effects of Free market Economic Determinism
within the Global Political Economy: Case studies in macro economic policy in
Mexico, South Korea and Ghana.
Bachelor of Arts 1994 - Oct 1998
Deakin University - Geelong.
Majors: International Relations/Philosophy
PUBLICATIONS
Book Publications
Waldron, D. "The Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival." Carolina Academic Press: Durham, 2008.
Leeming, David (Ed.) The Blanton Peale Institute Encyclopaedia of Psychology and Religion. Blanton Peale: New York. 2008.
Entries for "Witchcraft; Paganism; Great Mother; Holy Grail; Folk magic; Wicca; Celtic Religions."
Refereed Journal Articles
Waldron, D. "Roleplaying Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic." Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. Vol IX. Spring 2005. pp 50-78.
Waldron, D. "Witchcraft for Sale: Commodity vs Community in the neo-Pagan movement." Nova Religio, Vol 9. No 1. August 2005. 32-48.
Waldron, D & Waldron, S. Jung and the neo-Pagan Movement.” Quadrant: The Journal of the C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology. Vol XXXIV. No 1. Summer 2004.
Waldron, D. “Witchcraft for Sale: Commodity vs Community in the neo-Pagan movement.” Nova Religio, Vol 9. No 1. August 2005.
Waldron, D. “Ecofeminism and the Reconstruction of the Burning Times”. Intercultural Studies. Vol 3. No 1. Spring 2003. pp 36-50.
Waldron, D. “Post-modernism and Witchcraft History.” The Pomegranate: Journal of Neo-Pagan Thought. Issue 15. February, 2001. pp 16-22.
General Articles and Non-Academic Publications
Waldron, D. Spiritualism and the Origins of UFO Mythology. Paper presented as part of Seminar Series on Cultural Studies and Psychoanalysis. University of Ballarat. May 12, 2005.
Waldron, D. “Role-playing Games and the Christian Right”. Places to Go People to Be. Issue 25. December 2003. pp 20-36.
Waldron, D. “Condescending and patronizing: Academic Studies of Computer Games.” PCPowerplay Magazine. 24-9-2003. p 6.
Waldron, D. “Commentary: The Last temptation of Christ.” Brownflower: The New Surrealism Archive. 7-7-2003. http://www.brownflower.com/essays/lasttemptation.html
Waldron, D. “The neo-Pagan appropriation of Jungian Theory.” Brownflower: The New Surrealism Archive. 7-7-2003. http://www.brownflower.com/essays/jung-neopagan.html
Waldron, D. “Globalisation and the Problem of Language.” Ballarat Courier Mail. May 26, 2001. p 9.
Waldron, D and Waldron, B. “WTC protest coverage leaves all views undermined.” Ballarat Courier Mail. September 26, 2000. p 9.
ACADEMIC CONFERENCE PAPERS
Waldron, D. “Rethinking Appropriation of the Indigenous: A Romanticst Approach to Cultural Imperialism.” Joint Conference of the ASA, ASAANZ and AAS: Ownership and Appropriation. University of Aukland. December 12 2008.
Waldron, D. “Myth, Folklore and Kitsch: The Case of the Black Dog of Bungay.” Joint Conference of the ASA, ASAANZ and AAS: Ownership and Appropriation. University of Aukland. December 12 2008.
Waldron, D. "Animals in Paganism". Seminar series in Animals in Myths and Religion: A summer Program in Religious Studies. Latrobe University. Feb 11 2007.
Waldron, D. "A Straunge and Terrible Wunder: Myth, Folklore, Kitsch and the Black Hound of Bungay". Cultural Studies and Psycho-analysis. University of Ballarat. June 6, 2006.
Waldron, D. Spiritualism and the Origins of UFO Mythology. Paper presented as part of Seminar Series on Cultural Studies and Psychoanalysis. University of Ballarat. May 12, 2005.
Waldron, D. The Sign of the Witch: Struggles for History, Culture and Identity within the neo-Pagan movement. “Anthropology Seminar Series.” The University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies. 23 March 2005.
Waldron, D. Witchcraft for Sale: Commodity vs Community in the neo-Pagan Movement. Presented at The Australian Sociological Association annual conference. 4-6 December 2003.
Waldron, D. Role-playing Games and the Christian Right: Community formation in response to a moral panic. Presented at The Australian Sociological Association annual conference 4-6 December 2003.
Waldron, D. Magic, Myth and the Rational in Renaissance Hermeticism. Paper presented as part of Seminar Series on Cultural Studies and Psychoanalysis. University of Ballarat. May 13, 2003.
Waldron, D. Post-Modern Historiography and the neo-Pagan movement in Australia. Paper presented at The Australian Sociological Association Annual Conference. University of Flinders. December 6, 2000.
Waldron, D. The neo-Pagan Movement and the Challenge of Continental European scholarship. Paper presented at The Australian Sociological Association Annual Conference. University of Flinders. December 6, 2000.
Waldron, D. The Eco-Feminist Appropriation of the Burning Times. Paper presented at the Australian Anthropological Association Annual Conference. University of Sydney. June 22, 1999.
Guest Lectures and Presentations to the General Public
Waldron, D. Early Modern European Witchcraft: Learned and Popularist Definitions 1480-1650. Guest Lecture in Medieval history. Latrobe University: Bendigo. May 12, 2001.
Waldron, D. Environmental Economics. Paper presented at the Public Forum of the Environment. (Australian Democrats and Australian Conservation Foundation.) Ballarat. July 3, 2000.
Waldron, D. PhD Confirmation of Candidature Presentation. Presentation on research methods and subject material regarding PhD thesis topic. University of Ballarat. February 15, 1999.