Most of the people around the world exercise religion. In fact, it plays a significant role in shaping and influencing people's everyday life. It is not surprising why it receives such a major focus in a way that religion has manifested itself in various forms across the history of mankind. Flood (2012) says that religion exists within particular social systems, kinship structures, styles of speaking and acting, cultural memories and kinds of art. For this reason, understanding religion has then becoming crucial and fundamental for the basic understanding for the particular community. Still, it is notoriously a difficult term to define. The meaning of religion is rarely questioned and is often overlooked owing to its nature of ambiguity. As …show more content…
For instance, Chinese folk religion is deeply rooted in their culture. It is the tradition that acquired from the ancient past. Without realising, the influence of these religious values is so firm and powerful that it has been integrated into everyday lifestyles. Though commonly practice, Chinese folk religion is perceived as one of the most mysterious religions in the world by many scholars. Generally, it has been portrayed by a series of worship towards different spiritual entities including Chinese divinities of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian, nature spirits, ancestors and even local deified heroes (Heinze, …show more content…
In fact, the aspect of supernaturality is vital in defining religion because of its notability in the Chinese religious life and therefore, this research tackles the supernatural as a primary component of Chinese religion. Also, it is important to note that this study does not neglect religious occasions which exclude the supernatural manner. Any elaboration of non-supernatural occasions will be addressed only where they are relevant. On this note, this study is an attempt to explore the anthropological importance of the Chinese folk religion in the context of spirit mediumship.
There are not less than two plans of action in analysing this phenomena. One of them seeks to discover the personality of such individuals by looking at their life history. While the other approach endeavours to investigate the social web of such individuals, to find out what kind of society produces spirit mediums and where is it most possible to take place. In here, the research will only pay attention to the Cantonese spirit mediums in Kuantan, disregard of their age group, educational level, marital status and
Winkelman, Michael. "Shamanism in Cross-Cultural Perspective." International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 31.2 (2013): 47-62. Google Scholar. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
As David Hufford said, in Beings Without Bodies, much of folk belief about spirits is found to be reasonable. This account is reported under his experience-centered theory. Hufford said much of the belief of spirits is reasonable as it is established on logical understanding from a person’s own experience. However, Hufford said not all beliefs are backed up by experience or even evidence. Some beliefs are made purely on faith. (Hufford p.11)
“The whole character of Chinese popular religion flows in the direction of plethora of rituals and obligations without much discernable doctrinal underpinning” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). The Chinese popular religion has gravitated away the gods of Buddha and Daoism and captured the philosophy of luck and materialism (Corduan, 2012), while it “is less concerned with philosophical issues and
Elisa Trojillo PHIL 101 Honors Dr. Mitchell February 26, 2014 Analytic Paper Over the course of history, individuals have questioned the universe in which we live in and searched for a purpose of our existence. The belief in a higher presence, other than our own, has existed since man can remember. From this belief, religion was established and can survive and flourish. Buddhism and Taoism are two great religious and philosophical traditions in Chinese history.
Religion, “part of the human experience that has to do with a god or gods, a higher power, or the ultimate values of life” (Cason & Tillman 6-7), is one of the most controversial and interesting subjects for humanity. It has been around for as long as anyone can recall and they have difference and similarities in their founders, beliefs, and history. Religion has served to give some sort of a meaning to life and everything around it. In modern society, some religions have grown and expanded significantly. These larger religions have been classified as world religions. In addition, these world religions have been split into two categories known as Eastern and Western religion.
Religion usually plays a big part in the cultures of the world and is the basis for their beliefs and values. In many countries religion is very important, so important that some cultures use it in every aspect of their lives. China l...
Religion is an ever-growing idea that has no set date of origin. Throughout history religion has served as an answer to the questions that man could not resolve. The word religion is derived from the Latin word “religio” meaning restraint in collaboration with the Greek word “relegere” which means to repeat or to read again. Religion is currently defined as an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. Throughout time, there has yet to be a culture that lacks a religion of some form, whether it is a branch of paganism, a mythological based religion or mono/polytheistic religion. Many religions have been forgotten due to the fact that they were ethnic religions and globalizing religions were fighting to be recognized, annihilating these ancient and ethnic religions. Some of these faiths include: Finnish Paganism, Atenism, Minoan Religion, Mithraism, Manichaeism, Vedism, Zoroastrianism, Asatru, and the Olmec Religion. Religion is an imperative part of our contemporary world but mod...
Sometimes it is known as Muism a "religion of the Mu"19 encompasses a variety of indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Korean people.In Korea, a shaman is known as a mudang. The role of the mudang, usually a woman, is act as intermediary between a spirit entity, spirits or gods and human beings. It identifies equality of man and woman and no dominance over nature which influenced consciousness of people in
As long as one can remember, paranormal beliefs have always existed in human society. They are living in every man’s childhood and in every corner of human’s life. From the burning belief about Santa Claus’s gifts under a Christmas’s tree in the morning to a scary game about Bloody Mary and her coming back from the dead, it seems that people cannot help but draw themselves to these stories. Even when these beliefs fade, there would be a new one that eventually shows up. No matter how much science has progressed, the belief in paranormal phenomena still remains in society. Eventually, the question about paranormal phenomena seems pale in comparison to the human’s undying belief about such things. It is really hard to pinpoint an exact cause for human’s belief in the paranormal for only one cause is not enough; however, it is sure that psychological, sociological, and biological factors play an enormous role that contributes to this belief.
Haslam, Garth. (2003-2004). Spiritualism. Anomalies Article, 1-3. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the Anomalies Database.
Lehmann A. C. & Myers J. E. Magic, Witchcraft and Religion – An anthropological Study of the Supernatural (Fourth Edition) (Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997)
...nfluence on the daily life of the Chinese people. The recollection of the ancestors, the fear of offending them or soiling their reputations, coupled with the desire to please them, are sources of inspiration, which guide the actions of the descendants. Even for a hardened sinner, to lack respect for the ancestors is the worst offense imaginable. Here is how the intimate thought of the master should be interpreted. Respectful of tradition and of rituals, he did not wish to explain himself fully on this subject. But such should be his thought. The cult of the dead is, in his eyes, the cult of memory, based upon filial piety and the thought of the continuity of the family and of the race. It is in this spirit that still being practiced by the majority of the Oriental world, for whom it is the main religion and takes the place of all preaching revealed or supernatural.
The term occult means ‘knowledge of the hidden’, as opposed to knowledge of what is measurable, or scientific. These beliefs of magic, astrology, alchemy and other supernatural studies have been in practice as far as recorded human history goes. Primitives believed external manifestations of fearful and capricious spirits must be supplicated, and so a caveman would record his belief system on his walls as a daily reminder of his dependence upon these unseen forces. His superstitions and expectations led him to illusory interpretations of natural events. Thus as his mental and artistic developments advanced, his spirits became gods, then...
While is a common conception that pre-modern societies are primitive compared to their modern counterpart, this is not often the case, theses societies have complex systems within their society especially within their spirituality and religion. It is this complexity that has allowed aspects of pre-modern societies to evolve and adapt into modern societies. Myths, rituals and sorcery have been terms to describe the activities of pre-modern societies, but these activities have also been found to exist within modern society as well. This essay will further discuss the connections between pre-modern and modern societies that has allowed for myths, rituals and sorcery to exist in the modern societies.