I’m not surprised to hear of confusion regarding these terms. They have a rich and somewhat debated history plus a varied use by people today. A review of these things can give us valuable lessons.

Religiously bad words

The term “pagan” is from the Latin paganus, meaning “rural, rustic, of the country.” The word “heathen” is derived from Gothic and Germanic vocabulary for a “dweller on the heath.” Both words take us back to a less cultivated or developed time. Eventually, however, the words were used more to describe religious traits than geographic or cultural characteristics. Respected dictionaries commonly reflect this by defining heathen as anyone not a Jew, Christian, or Muslim. A related but nonreligious connotation of paganism is “primitive, barbaric,” as opposed to “domesticated, civilized.”

Precisely when and why the words made the transition to the religious sphere is unclear. Some linguists link it to the general observation that Christendom first flourished in major urban centers and the church had difficulty maintaining religious influence over people in rural areas, who were less “Christianized.” Others add the thought that “heath dwellers” and the rustic had a habit of submitting to the established church when threatened but then returned to their pagan ways as soon as missionaries were out of sight. Thus the term heathen took on the meaning of idolatrous people who practiced the old, pre-Christian religion sometimes with a façade of Christianity.

Religiously good words?

Today paganism and heathenism can denote those who are considered culturally uncivilized or religiously “primitive.” But the terms are used to identify religiously active people connected with pre-Christian religious practices. Neo-paganism is a modern movement to revive nature worship and other nature-based “spiritual paths,” including neo-Druidism and Wicca. Neo-pagans consistently profess many gods or maintain that everything is god. Some include folk and tribal religions.

To have professing Christians labeled as “pagans” or “heathen” is quite unusual and linguistically inaccurate. What you heard might be referring to attempts to blend Christianity with neo-pagan thought. People who openly question traditional beliefs and view Christian churches as hypocritical or power hungry might speak of themselves as “Christian” and “pagan” at the same time. It is instructive to note how “pagan” and “heathen” are increasingly used in complimentary ways, to promote religion that biblical Christianity has always considered idolatrous and incompatible with the Christian faith.