Download or read book Spirited Things written by Paul Christopher Johnson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-05-07 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The word “possession” is anything but transparent, especially as it developed in the context of the African Americas. There it referred variously to spirits, material goods, and people. It served as a watershed term marking both transactions in which people were made into things—via slavery—and ritual events by which the thingification of people was revised. In Spirited Things, Paul Christopher Johnson gathers together essays by leading anthropologists in the Americas that reopen the concept of possession on these two fronts in order to examine the relationship between African religions in the Atlantic and the economies that have historically shaped—and continue to shape—the cultures that practice them. Exploring the way spirit possessions were framed both by material things—including plantations, the Catholic church, the sea, and the phonograph—as well as by the legacy of slavery, they offer a powerful new way of understanding the Atlantic world.
Download or read book Animism and Philosophy of Religion written by Tiddy Smith and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-02-25 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mainstream philosophy of religion has persistently failed to engage seriously or critically with animist beliefs and practices. The field that is now called "philosophy of religion" could quite easily be renamed "philosophy of theism" with few lecturers on the subject having to change their lecture notes. It is the aim of this volume to rectify that failure and to present animism as a live option among the plethora of religious worldviews. The volume addresses four major questions: 1. What is this thing called "animism"? 2. Are there any arguments for or against animist belief and practice? 3. What is the relationship between animism, naturalism, and the sciences? And 4. Should we take animism seriously? Animism and Philosophy of Religion is intended to be the first authoritative scholarly volume on the issue of animism and its place in the philosophy of religion. Ambitiously, it aims to act as the cornerstone volume for future work on the subject and as a key text for courses engaging with the subject.
Download or read book Spirit Things written by Lara Messersmith-Glavin and published by University of Alaska Press. This book was released on 2022-05-20 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of essays that evoke an adventurous spirit and the craving for myth, Spirit Things examines the hidden meanings of objects found on a fishing boat, as seen through the eyes of a child. Author Lara Messersmith-Glavin blends memoir, mythology, and science as she relates the uniqueness and flavor of the Alaskan experience through her memories of growing up fishing in the commercial salmon industry off Kodiak Island. “Spirit things” are those mundane objects that offer new insights into the world on closer consideration—fishing nets, a favorite knife, and the bioluminescent gleam of seawater in a twilight that never truly grows dark. Spirit Things recounts stories of fishing, family, synesthesia, storytelling, gender, violence, and meaning. Each essay takes an object and follows it through histories: personal, material, and scientific, drawing together the delicate lines that link things through their making and use, their genesis and evolution, and the ways they gain significance in an individual’s life. A contemplative take on everything from childcare to neurodivergence, comfort foods to outlaws, Spirit Things uses experiences from the human world and locates them on the edges of nature. Contact with wilderness, with wildness, be it twenty-foot seas in the ocean off Alaska’s coast or chairs flying through windows of a Kodiak bar, provides an entry point for meditations on the ways in which patterns, magic, and wonder overlap.
Download or read book Spirit Possession written by Éva Pócs and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2022-05-31 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Possession, a seemingly irrational phenomenon, has posed challenges to generations of scholars rooted in Western notions of body-soul dualism, self and personhood, and a whole set of presuppositions inherited from Christian models of possession that was “good” or “bad.” The authors of the essays in this book present a new and more promising approach. They conceive spirit possession as a form of communication, of expressivity, of culturally defined behavior that should be understood in the context of local, vernacular theories and empiric reflections. With the aim of reformulating the comparative anthropology of spirit possession, the editors have opened corridors between previously separate areas of research. Together, anthropologists and historians working on several historical periods and in different European, African, South American, and Asian cultural areas attempt to redefine the very concept of possession, freeing it from the Western notion of the self and more clearly delineating it from related matters such as witchcraft, devotion, or mysticism. The book also provides an overview of new research directions, including novel methods of participant observation and approaches to spirit possession as indigenous historiography
Download or read book Having the Spirit of Christ written by Giovanni B. Bazzana and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-07 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative reinterpretation of accounts of spirit possession and exorcism in early Christianity The earliest Christian writings are filled with stories of possession and exorcism, which were crucial for the activity of the historical Jesus and for the practice of the earliest groups of his followers. Most critical scholarship, however, regularly marginalizes these topics or discards them altogether in reconstructing early Christian history. This innovative book approaches the study of possession from a different methodological angle by using a comparative lens that includes contemporary ethnographies of possession cross-culturally. Possession, besides being a harmful event that should be exorcized, can also have a positive role in many cultures. Often it helps individuals and groups to reflect on and reshape their identity, to plan their moral actions, and to remember in a most vivid way their past. When read in light of these materials, these ancient documents reveal the religious, cultural, and social meaning that the experience of possession had for the early Christ groups.
Download or read book The Thing about Religion written by David Morgan and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2021-03-19 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Common views of religion typically focus on the beliefs and meanings derived from revealed scriptures, ideas, and doctrines. David Morgan has led the way in radically broadening that framework to encompass the understanding that religions are fundamentally embodied, material forms of practice. This concise primer shows readers how to study what has come to be termed material religion—the ways religious meaning is enacted in the material world. Material religion includes the things people wear, eat, sing, touch, look at, create, and avoid. It also encompasses the places where religion and the social realities of everyday life, including gender, class, and race, intersect in physical ways. This interdisciplinary approach brings religious studies into conversation with art history, anthropology, and other fields. In the book, Morgan lays out a range of theories, terms, and concepts and shows how they work together to center materiality in the study of religion. Integrating carefully curated visual evidence, Morgan then applies these ideas and methods to case studies across a variety of religious traditions, modeling step-by-step analysis and emphasizing the importance of historical context. The Thing about Religion will be an essential tool for experts and students alike. Two free, downloadable course syllabi created by the author are available online.
Download or read book The Dynamic Cosmos written by Diana Espírito Santo and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-05-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume applies the analytic notions of paradox and play to the ethnographic manifestation of spirits, angels, and demons in different locations around the world. The 10 case studies conceptualize the co-presence of humans and entities with terms that do not exclude spiritual reasoning on the one hand, and social explanations on the other. Through in-depth descriptions of localized possession cosmologies, the different chapters collectively propose path-breaking methodological directions in this field, which incorporate ethnographic theories of simultaneity into anthropological theories of religion, kinship, and ritual. Framed by an introduction written by the editors and an afterword by Michael Lambek, a leading authority in possessions studies, the volume contains cutting edge analyses that will provide readers with new tools to evaluate previously unstudied aspects of spirit possession; all of which stem from the fantastic forms of human movement that accompany the phenomenality of paradoxes in mundane reality.
Download or read book Medicinal Rule written by Koen Stroeken and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2018-09-07 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As soon as Europeans set foot on African soil, they looked for the equivalents of their kings – and found them. The resulting misunderstandings have lasted until this day. Based on ethnography-driven regional comparison and a critical re-examination of classic monographs on some forty cultural groups, this volume makes the arresting claim that across equatorial Africa the model of rule has been medicine – and not the colonizer’s despotic administrator, the missionary’s divine king, or Vansina’s big man. In a wide area populated by speakers of Bantu and other languages of the Niger-Congo cluster, both cult and dynastic clan draw on the fertility shrine, rainmaking charm and drum they inherit.
Download or read book Mom Said Don T Mess with This Stuff written by Saraigh Emma Belle and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2018-08-03 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All Vivienne wants to know is what happens to us if we commit suicide. Her life is a disaster and she needs real answers. Her grandparents and her father are all dead, but she cannot ask them. If only she could. They would tell her what to do. She already knows that her mother would tell her that she must be strong and that she can get through all this shit. Before she can decide, life takes her on a strange and otherworldly path. Maybe she can talk to the dead, but how will she know if that is real or that they are any wiser than her mother?
Download or read book The Fetish Revisited written by J. Lorand Matory and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-04 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the early-modern encounter between African and European merchants on the Guinea Coast, European social critics have invoked African gods as metaphors for misplaced value and agency, using the term “fetishism” chiefly to assert the irrationality of their fellow Europeans. Yet, as J. Lorand Matory demonstrates in The Fetish Revisited, Afro-Atlantic gods have a materially embodied social logic of their own, which is no less rational than the social theories of Marx and Freud. Drawing on thirty-six years of fieldwork in Africa, Europe, and the Americas, Matory casts an Afro-Atlantic eye on European theory to show how Marx’s and Freud’s conceptions of the fetish both illuminate and misrepresent Africa’s human-made gods. Through this analysis, the priests, practices, and spirited things of four major Afro-Atlantic religions simultaneously call attention to the culture-specific, materially conditioned, physically embodied, and indeed fetishistic nature of Marx’s and Freud’s theories themselves. Challenging long-held assumptions about the nature of gods and theories, Matory offers a novel perspective on the social roots of these tandem African and European understandings of collective action, while illuminating the relationship of European social theory to the racism suffered by Africans and assimilated Jews alike.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions written by Michelle A. Gonzalez and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions offers a comprehensive overview of Caribbean religions. The Caribbean is a microcosm of the world's religions, but the small geographic space resulted in the encounter of global religions and indigenous religious practices. The racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of this region makes brief introductions to Caribbean religions incapable of truly addressing its complex and diverse religious landscape. The Handbook also elaborates on the diversity of the religious traditions and the national particularity of the region while also considering multiple geographic settings. It mentions how often Caribbean religion is studied through the perspective of a discrete religious tradition or geographic setting"--
Download or read book What About the Big Stuff written by Richard Carlson and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2002-10-01 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With more than 21 million copies in print, Richard Carlson's bestselling Don't Sweat series has shown countless families, lovers, and workers how not to sweat the small stuff. Now, in his soothing and wise trademark tone, Carlson takes a different approach and discusses life's bigger issues, including dealing with the death of a loved one; how divorce affects your family and friends; confronting illness, whether in yourself or others; and managing difficult financial situations. In chapters such as 'Bouncing Back from Divorce,' 'Finding Life After Death,' and 'Feel Free to Grieve,' Carlson offers healing insight and heartfelt advice on how to find inner peace and strength to deal with the big stuff. Don't Sweat the Big Stuff, but instead: Learn from the Big Stuff Grieve Freely Ask Yourself the Question, 'Will This Matter a Year from Now?' Reflect on What You're Going to Want to Say--Before You Need to Say It Prepare and Let Go
Download or read book On My Way written by Brad Hennagir and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012-03-23 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On My Way is a book that summarizes the angles in life that most people struggle with, but have trouble putting their finger on. It is a blend of the straight truth with a nice mix of good old fashioned values and advice. Everyone in life goes through some sort of tough time. Whether a person is attractive, wealthy, not so wealthy, nice, or mean, everyone has a trial. Instead of wondering what the trial might be, perhaps one would wonder how he will respond when his trials arises. Nothing in life seems to disclose a person’s real grit as much as a struggle. On My Way is a perspective of life and trials. It offers viewpoints that are rarely seen and described, however the great part of the book is that they are commonly felt by many people and have never really known how to describe it. On My Way is the book that finally finds words to match the feelings that so many people often experience as they go through hard times and life’s challenges. Then, it offers ideas of coping and survival ideas and perspectives. The book takes you through the early stages of life and the thoughts and ideas that are formed early, all the way to adulthood and the way processes behind how these mindsets are changed. It incorporates the ideologies of our modern society with the choices people make regarding happiness and dealing with the daily on-goings of life. As you read through the book, you have the opportunity to find where the book fits into you and your life, with hopefully a better outlook and result of your personal situation.
Download or read book The Mennonite written by and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 822 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Don t Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens written by Richard Carlson and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2012-03-06 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featured in Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story starring Heather Locklear, premiering on Lifetime In this candid guide to adolescence in his #1 bestselling series, Richard Carlson examines the contradictions and challenges unique to teenage life and offers high schoolers (and their parents) tools for learning not to stress about homework, peer pressure, dating, and more. Along the way, he addresses such issues as: Breaking up Getting out of the emergency lane Being OK with your bad hair day Dropping the drama
Download or read book SHENSTONE GREEN OR THE NEW PARADISE LOST BEING A HISTORY OF HUMAN NATURE IN THREE VOLUMES written by Samuel Jackson Pratt and published by . This book was released on 1787 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Experiments with Power written by J. Brent Crosson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2020-07-10 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2011, Trinidad declared a state of emergency. This massive state intervention lasted for 108 days and led to the rounding up of over 7,000 people in areas the state deemed “crime hot spots.” The government justified this action and subsequent police violence on the grounds that these measures were restoring “the rule of law.” In this milieu of expanded policing powers, protests occasioned by police violence against lower-class black people have often garnered little sympathy. But in an improbable turn of events, six officers involved in the shooting of three young people were charged with murder at the height of the state of emergency. To explain this, the host of Crime Watch, the nation’s most popular television show, alleged that there must be a special power at work: obeah. From eighteenth-century slave rebellions to contemporary responses to police brutality, Caribbean methods of problem-solving “spiritual work” have been criminalized under the label of “obeah.” Connected to a justice-making force, obeah remains a crime in many parts of the anglophone Caribbean. In Experiments with Power, J. Brent Crosson addresses the complex question of what obeah is. Redescribing obeah as “science” and “experiments,” Caribbean spiritual workers unsettle the moral and racial foundations of Western categories of religion. Based on more than a decade of conversations with spiritual workers during and after the state of emergency, this book shows how the reframing of religious practice as an experiment with power transforms conceptions of religion and law in modern nation-states.
