Shamans and Religion: An Anthropological Exploration in Critical ThinkingApplying critical thinking techniques as a way of examining assumptions presented as fact, she deconstructs many commonly held notions of what shamanism is and isn't, closely critiquing widely cited articles and books on the subject. The problems discussed bring up important anthropological questions not limited to the anthropology of religion. How does the ethnographer distance his or her own (usually Western) socialization when describing the empirical reality of a culture? How does the reader of the anthropological literature do the same when analyzing others' writings? |
Contents
Real Shamans | 7 |
Siberian Shamans Then and Now | 14 |
Understanding Religion from | 21 |
Copyright | |
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accepted activities adept American Indian ancient animals anthropologists beliefs body called carried cave century Chapter Christian civilized claim comes comparative concentration concept consider contemporary contrast critical cultural dance Daur described divine drum ecstasy Eliade Eliade's European example experience faces families feel followers forms give groups hand Harner healing human idea indigenous individuals intense Jochelson journey knowledge labeled leaders learned less Lewis-Williams living looked Maya means method move mystics natural non-Western North northern notes observed paintings Paleolithic patient performance person perspective political practices practitioners prayer present Press priests primitive reality record reindeer religion religious ritual river rock art Russian scholar seems showed Siberian shamans similar social societies soul South spirits studies techniques term thinking thousand tion tradition trance turn University West Western women workshop