Click here (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912) for a century-old Christian perspective on shamanism... How would you characterize the tone of this article? What kinds of presuppositions and/or beliefs seem to underlie its descriptions? What specific terms/labels stand out for you?
7 comments:
Anonymous
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I liked this article and found good information in it. I thought it was an interesting comparison between Shamanism and Fetishism.
There is a lot information in this article. There are a lot of terms I do not know. So this is good considering a person studies so they can learn new information they did not perviously know. The comparison between Shamanism and Fetishism was good.
I think this article is both informative and descriptive in stating what different cultures believe Shamanism to be and the practices they use. It seems that there isn't one set way to practice Shamanism but, how each person or a group of people chooses to practice it. It may be through nature or through animals which, to me, brings the term idolatry to mind.
I agree with what was said that there is a lot of good information in this article. What I found interesting is that it isn't just christians who see shamanism as a kind of devil or dark spirit worshipping practice, but buddhists and other eastern faiths do, too. In the criticism part of the article, c) explained that shamanism is not a religion, but rather a shaman is, more accurately, a religious priest. With what I know so far, it seems to me that a difference between a christian priest and a shaman is that priests seem to channel energy from whatever spirits or deities they are calling on, and shamans seem to have to harbor them. Not sure if that has anything to do with why shamanic rituals appear more 'violent' than, say, christian ones.
Interesting article, especially how the author made a point to mention how shamanism is sometimes passed down through a family of nobles. Also I found it interesting, even though this is a catholic document, that their was mention of possession. Coming from a Christian point of view the idea of spiritual possession is something that is worth a second look. Can we explain some forms of shamanism as possession by some spiritual force with a motive and an agenda?
Excellent question, Michael, regarding shamanism and possession. A traditional distinction between the two has been that possession involves the involuntary abduction/control by spirits, whereas shamanism relies upon the intentional engagement/control of spirits. But is this dichotomy perhaps too neat??
Sydney, you bring up an insightful point about how several institutionalized religions tend to view shamanism as an improper (= demonic) form of spiritual mediation. Is shamanism in this regard 'too aggressive' by the standards of these religions? Does it poke its head into corners of the cosmos that are better left alone? Might not shamanism reply that such corners are too important to be ignored?
The article speaks to the universal nature of spirit belief. That many societies had either shamans, or viewed shamanistic practices as demonic, suggests that each society believed in these spirits, whether they were malevolent or benevolent. I was drawn to the distinction at the bottom; shamanism is not a religion. This will be helpful in the future. Katrina, your comment gave me some food for thought.
7 comments:
I liked this article and found good information in it. I thought it was an interesting comparison between Shamanism and Fetishism.
Bob
There is a lot information in this article. There are a lot of terms I do not know. So this is good considering a person studies so they can learn new information they did not perviously know. The comparison between Shamanism and Fetishism was good.
Lisa C. Miller
I think this article is both informative and descriptive in stating what different cultures believe Shamanism to be and the practices they use. It seems that there isn't one set way to practice Shamanism but, how each person or a group of people chooses to practice it. It may be through nature or through animals which, to me, brings the term idolatry to mind.
Katrina A.
I agree with what was said that there is a lot of good information in this article.
What I found interesting is that it isn't just christians who see shamanism as a kind of devil or dark spirit worshipping practice, but buddhists and other eastern faiths do, too.
In the criticism part of the article, c) explained that shamanism is not a religion, but rather a shaman is, more accurately, a religious priest. With what I know so far, it seems to me that a difference between a christian priest and a shaman is that priests seem to channel energy from whatever spirits or deities they are calling on, and shamans seem to have to harbor them. Not sure if that has anything to do with why shamanic rituals appear more 'violent' than, say, christian ones.
Sydney Rosenbalm
Interesting article, especially how the author made a point to mention how shamanism is sometimes passed down through a family of nobles. Also I found it interesting, even though this is a catholic document, that their was mention of possession. Coming from a Christian point of view the idea of spiritual possession is something that is worth a second look. Can we explain some forms of shamanism as possession by some spiritual force with a motive and an agenda?
Michael (sorry forgot to sign)
Excellent question, Michael, regarding shamanism and possession. A traditional distinction between the two has been that possession involves the involuntary abduction/control by spirits, whereas shamanism relies upon the intentional engagement/control of spirits. But is this dichotomy perhaps too neat??
Sydney, you bring up an insightful point about how several institutionalized religions tend to view shamanism as an improper (= demonic) form of spiritual mediation. Is shamanism in this regard 'too aggressive' by the standards of these religions? Does it poke its head into corners of the cosmos that are better left alone? Might not shamanism reply that such corners are too important to be ignored?
The article speaks to the universal nature of spirit belief. That many societies had either shamans, or viewed shamanistic practices as demonic, suggests that each society believed in these spirits, whether they were malevolent or benevolent. I was drawn to the distinction at the bottom; shamanism is not a religion. This will be helpful in the future. Katrina, your comment gave me some food for thought.
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