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Rescooped by Skuuppilehdet from Geography
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Religion or not religion – a discourse analysis of shamanism

Religion or not religion – a discourse analysis of shamanism | Human Interest | Scoop.it

"In the study of indigenous religions, one of the issues a scholar faces is the gap between self-representation and scholarly classification, particularly with regard to the concept of ‘religion’. So how does the scholar of religion approach this issue? Shamanism is an interesting example, one which illustrates this problem, as this term was also coined by scholars, derived from one group in Siberia and applied cross-culturally to others, which then influenced diverse peoples to adopt the term when describing their traditions to outsiders, often in distinction to what is regarded as ‘religion’."  by author Suzanne Owen

 

Scooped by Seti Gershberg www.thpathofthesun.com


Via Seti Gershberg, Jerónimo M.M., Mary Trainor-Brigham, CT Blake
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Rescooped by Skuuppilehdet from Sex Positive
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Servant of God, or Prostitute?

Servant of God, or Prostitute? | Human Interest | Scoop.it

The Devadasi, a centuries-old caste of sacred temple priestesses, struggles to have it's own renaissance. One woman leads the way...

 

The origins of the practice are often disputed, but historians agree that in India by the 10th century this caste of sacred temple servants enjoyed great wealth & property as signs of respect & clout.

 

Considered married to the Hindu deities, the Devadasi were talented dancers, singers & even viewed as political advisors. At the core of Devadasi faith is the belief all men are incarnations of the male deities & so in addition to performing sacred temple ceremonies, Devadasis offered sexual services. In the act of making love, a man & a Devadasi enact the sacred marriage of god & goddess which therefore allows them to become divine themselves.


Via Gracie Passette, Deanna Dahlsad
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