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Methodological choice and the study of sensitive issues
No full textThere has been relatively little concern with methodological issues within the study of religion. In this article the author considers the need for a continuing clarification of how diverse methodological approaches relate to the study of religion in general, and what is more, of certain aspects of the role of the researcher in particular. A main difference between the methodological approaches as referred to in this article — and illustrated by reference to minority studies -is in the closeness of the researcher to his field. One could perhaps state that while the researcher draws nearer to his field in soft approaches the theories remain further away from the empirical data (i.e. in that one creates greater vistas) while the opposite is true for those that work with hard data designs, that meta-theories are almost excluded (as pure speculation) due to the strict demands for operationalization, as the (effect of the) researcher is to a greater extend likewise excluded from the picture. Though in both cases the choices made must naturally be made explicit as must the researcher relate to a qualified discussion between experts who have some kind of relationship to the kind of empirical material or theoretical thinking that is at issue in the particular project
Formative factors of the Maria Åkerblom movement
No full textThe Åkerblom movement exemplifies the best known impact on the cultural and religious environment of Swedish Finland, of a geographically and historically extensive phenomenon—the prophet movement. An obvious prerequisite for the emergence of a prophet movement is the prophet figure. The character and development of the movement are, to a great extent, dependent on the background and personality of this figure. The adolescence of Ida Maria Åkerblom (IMÅ), a cottar's daughter, born in Snappertuna in rural West Nyland in 1898, was both materially and spiritually barren. In matter of religion, she grew up in an atmosphere of piety best described as 'traditional and formalistic', with elements of evangelistic and later, also Anglo-Saxon revivalist piety. On the day on which IMÅ's confirmation priest and curate at Snappertuna, Karl-Erik Lindström died, IMÅ assumed the role of prophet and preacher, according to her account, after a severe illness. Lying in bed, she prophesied, while in a somnambulic state, imminent periods of hardship, and depicted her heavenly vision
Editorial note
No full textEditorial note of Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, vol. 23, Religion and the Body, based on papers read at the symposium on Religion and the Body held at Åbo/Turku, Finland, on 16-18 June 2010
Misreading and re-reading: interpretation in comparative religion
No full textReligion should no longer only be equated with a doctrine or philosophy which, although important, is but one aspect or dimension of the phenomenon religion. Apart from presenting the intellectual or rational aspects of Buddhism, we should aim at a balanced view by also focusing on the mythical or narrative axioms of the Buddhist doctrines, as well as on the practical and ritual, the experiential and emotional, the ethical and legal, the social and institutional, and the material and artistic dimensions of the religious phenomenon known as Buddhism. This will help us to arrive at a balanced, unbiased and holistic conception of the subject matter. We must be careful not to impose the ethnocentric conceptions of our time, or to fall into the trap of reductionism, or to project our own idiosyncratic or personal beliefs onto the subject of our research. For example, according to Marco Polo, the Sinhalese Buddhists were 'idolaters', in other words worshippers of idols. This interpretation of the Sinhalese custom of placing offerings such as flowers, incense and lights before the Buddha image is quite understandable, because it is one of the most conspicuous feature of Sinhalese Buddhism even today. However, in conceiving of Buddhists as 'idolaters', Polo was uncritically using the concept of the then prevailing ethnocentric Christian discourse, by which the worshippers of other religions used idols, images or representations of God or the divine as objects of worship, a false God, as it were. Christians, on the other hand, worshipped the only true God
Beyond postmodern spirituality: Ken Wilber and the Integral approach
No full textThe American philosopher Ken Wilber has taken on a sizeable challenge by trying to unsnarl the modern world-knot and its secular worldview. In the course of his almost forty years of predominantly solitary study (he has worked outside academia for the best part of his career) and writing, Wilber has produced a body of work that spans from consciousness studies to sociology and anthropology, to mysticism and to different fields of philosophy, psychology and comparative religion. The main theme running through his writings is the concept of Kosmos, the universe of matter, life, mind and spirit, that he seeks to restore and bring back both to our vocabulary and to our everyday experience of reality. This article examines Ken Wilber's Integral theory
Can a Buddha Image be Untrue? The Grahi Buddha and the Way to Make Buddha Images in Southeast Asia
No full textWhat exactly is a Buddha image? Why does a Buddha image take the particular shape it has, rather than some other form? Is it realistic to assume that someone has consciously composed an image like the Grahi Buddha? Has it, instead, been made by mistake, by mere chance or ignorance? There have been some attempts to explain the Grahi Buddha before. One aim with this paper is to elucidate these interpretations and see how valid they are, and if necessary work out an alternative interpretation of this unusual image. To do this and answer the questions above, we must examine the religious tradition behind Buddha images, both within historical times and in Southeast Asia today. A second aim is to be acquainted with this, not so well-known Buddhist tradition. The first thing we have to do is to ask the statue itself. Unfortunately, the inscription on the image does not mention the unusual shape of the image. It can however give us some information about the context in which the statue was made. A Buddha image is a complex object withholding different aspects, and taken in isolation it can be understood in many different ways, but its religious meaning becomes clear only when it is considered as a part of the religious tradition and the society at large
Foot-pilgrims and backpackers: contemporary ways of travelling
No full textThis article deals with two modern forms of travelling, which both have developed into boom industries over the last 25 years: the foot pilgrimage along the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and journeys along so called backpacker’s trails. Whereas the label of ‘pilgrim’ is still mostly associated with devotional persons leaving home out of purely religious motives, young people taking to the road as ‘backpackers’ are generally perceived as pleasure seeking globetrotters. However, the intention of this essay is to break with these stereotypes and to work out some of the major similarities between what at first glance appear as two entirely different ways of travelling. Within this long lasting travelling process the exterior journey always correlates with the inner journey. At the same time, a personal transformation of the protagonists is very possible to occur, be it an increase in self-confidence or an enhancement in status, prestige and identity, alongside further personal insights. Whilst travelling can therefore be seen as a form of a transition, in contrast to traditional rites de passage there is neither a fixed starting point nor a determined ending point, moreover the transformation is self-imposed and occurs on an individual than on a social level. In this context a foot-pilgrimage and a backpacker’s trip can be understood as an ideal way to evade the daily routine and the societal pressure in order to look for a different kind of living. But it may also be a personal quest for a change or an improvement of one’s situation as well as an alternative to the established social and religious institutions
Ritualistics: an overview of research from a religio-psychological perspective
No full textThe study of rites or ritual has a long history. As far back as we can go in the history of religious studies we find analyses of the behavioural dimension of religiosity. It was only towards the end of the 19th century, however, that scholars began to pay more regular attention to rites. This new attitude was linked with an increased tendency to study foreign cultures, often within a discipline that had come to be called anthropology. In theology, and also very much within religious studies in general, greater notice has been given to the cognitive side, that is to say the study of myths and religiophilosophical questions. Gradually, the behavioural dimension and therefore rites have acquired greater significance in religious studies, something which the following presentation will demonstrate
The position of the individual gods and goddesses in various types of sources - with special reference to the female divinities
No full textIn the written sources the gods are arranged in a patriarchal family structure with Odin on the top. If we try to rank the gods in order of precedence on the basis of the number of instances in the toponymic material, Odin would be found a good way down the list. Generally, we should expect gods connected with the cult of fertility and the agricultural society to be overrepresented in the toponymic material in comparison with a god of war. If we consider our literary sources and ask which of the goddesses' names are most frequently used as basic words in kenningar for women, we see that many of the more "unknown" goddesses are very well represented in this material. In the toponymic material, it was the leading goddess who was considered to be the leading god's wife, but not necessarily. Both Frigg and Freyja belong to the type of fertility goddess
The snake and zig-zag motifs in Finnish rock paintings and Saami drums
No full textIn articles about Finnish rock paintings particular attention has been paid to the significance of shamanism. The emphasis on shamanism leads in practice to the conclusion that a composition in which there is a man and a snake, or a snake like zig-zag figure, depicts a shaman and his helping animal. The explanation follows the traditional concept of arctic shamanism. However, the use of shamanism as the most significant basis for interpretation does not lead to plausible results in the study of pictographs (rock paintings) and petroglyphs (rock carvings). There are other possibilities besides shamanism for constructing an interpretation of the rock painting - ancient man did not resort only to the shaman but to magic and to the cults of fertility and ancestors