Origin from 1987
The Troth is a Heathen religious organization founded in the United States in 1987, originally as the Ring of Troth, later renamed The Troth. It holds an explicitly universalist position, open to members regardless of ancestry, in contrast to the folkish position that restricts Heathen practice to people of Germanic or Northern European descent, and its membership policy explicitly excludes folkish and racialist positions.
Facts
Origins
Origin PeriodSourced to the subject's own account FounderSourced to the subject's own accountFounding figures included Edred Thorsson (Stephen Flowers), who later left the organization amid Heathenry's folkish versus universalist split. 1 FoundedSourced to the subject's own accountFounded 1987 as the Ring of Troth, United States. 1 Organisation
Distinguishing FeatureSourced to the subject's own accountExplicitly universalist: membership is open regardless of ancestry, and the organization's policies bar folkish and racialist positions, placing it opposite the folkish position within Heathenry's central access dispute. 1 Status
Current StatusSourced to the subject's own accountActive; ordains its own clergy and operates as one of the largest universalist Heathen organizations. 1 Controversy
Point in DisputeSourced to the subject's own accountThe Troth's universalist stance sits opposite the folkish position found elsewhere within Heathenry. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names The Troth directly: "general-reference article on The Troth, a continuously edited tertiary source with no fixed publication year, accessed 2026-08-19."
Belongs to Tradition
Founded By
One of several founding figures; later left amid the folkish versus universalist split.
Sources
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