|
Showing 1 - 6 of
6 matches in All Departments
Bettina E. Schmidt explores experiences usually labelled as spirit
possession, a highly contested and challenged term, using extensive
ethnographic research conducted in Sao Paulo, the largest city in
Brazil and home to a range of religions which practice spirit
possession. The book is enriched by excerpts from interviews with
people about their experiences. It focuses on spirit possession in
Afro-Brazilian religions and spiritism, as well as discussing the
notion of exorcism in Charismatic Christian communities. Spirits
and Trance in Brazil: An Anthropology of Religious Experience is
divided into three sections which present the three main areas in
the study of spirit possession. The first section looks at the
social dimension of spirit possession, in particular gender roles
associated with spirit possession in Brazil and racial
stratification of the communities. It shows how gender roles and
racial composition have adapted alongside changes in society in the
last 100 years. The second section focuses on the way people
interpret their practice. It shows that the interpretations of this
practice depend on the human relationship to the possessing
entities. The third section explores a relatively new field of
research, the Western discourse of mind/body dualism and the wide
field of cognition and embodiment. All sections together confirm
the significance of discussing spirit possession within a wider
framework that embraces physical elements as well as cultural and
social ones. Bringing together sociological, anthropological,
phenomenological and religious studies approaches, this book offers
a new perspective on the study of spirit possession.
Key Concepts in Philosophy is a series of concise, accessible and
engaging introductions to the core ideas and subjects encountered
in the study of philosophy. Specially written to meet the needs of
students and those with an interest in, but little prior knowledge
of, philosophy, these books open up fascinating, yet sometimes
difficult ideas. The series builds to give a solid grounding in
philosophy and each book is also ideal as a companion to further
study. The philosophy of mind - inquiry into just what the mind is
and the nature of its relationship to the body - is one of Western
philosophy's focal points. This is a comprehensive, clear and
authoritative guide to the subject's history, its key themes and
concepts, and those philosophers who have most influenced it, aimed
at students encountering the discipline for the first time. The
text illustrates the importance of the concept of mind in defining
what it is to be human; this unifies the discussion and analysis of
specific topics. Having outlined the major traditional accounts of
the nature of the mind in western philosophy, the book goes on to
examine such important concepts as subjectivity, intentionality and
behaviour. The book also explores how far the concept of mind can
be extended to animals and machines, such as computers and robots.
Philosophy undergraduates will find this an invaluable aid to
study, one that goes beyond simple definitions and summaries to
really open up fascinating and important ideas and arguments.
Bettina E. Schmidt explores experiences usually labelled as spirit
possession, a highly contested and challenged term, using extensive
ethnographic research conducted in Sao Paulo, the largest city in
Brazil and home to a range of religions which practice spirit
possession. The book is enriched by excerpts from interviews with
people about their experiences. It focuses on spirit possession in
Afro-Brazilian religions and spiritism, as well as discussing the
notion of exorcism in Charismatic Christian communities. Spirits
and Trance in Brazil: An Anthropology of Religious Experience is
divided into three sections which present the three main areas in
the study of spirit possession. The first section looks at the
social dimension of spirit possession, in particular gender roles
associated with spirit possession in Brazil and racial
stratification of the communities. It shows how gender roles and
racial composition have adapted alongside changes in society in the
last 100 years. The second section focuses on the way people
interpret their practice. It shows that the interpretations of this
practice depend on the human relationship to the possessing
entities. The third section explores a relatively new field of
research, the Western discourse of mind/body dualism and the wide
field of cognition and embodiment. All sections together confirm
the significance of discussing spirit possession within a wider
framework that embraces physical elements as well as cultural and
social ones. Bringing together sociological, anthropological,
phenomenological and religious studies approaches, this book offers
a new perspective on the study of spirit possession.
Spirit possession is a phenomenon that often elicits a response of
fear, particular in those who are ignorant of its meaning and role
within its particular religious and cultural traditions. Possession
by divine beings (such as spirits or gods) is, however, a key
practice in religions worldwide. It is therefore important to gain
an understanding of this practice in its cultural context before
trying to develop a wider theory about it.
This fascinating book contains several case studies that present
new interpretations of spirit possession worldwide. The authors
show the diversity of possible interpretations and methodological
approaches that provide a new insight into the understanding of
possession and trance.
|
You may like...
Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R383
R318
Discovery Miles 3 180
|