[lbo-talk] Marxism and Religion

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Thu Mar 1 11:22:58 PST 2007


Chris Doss wrote:
> Spirits, gods, elves, vampiri, angels, whatever you
> want to call them and whatever role they fulfull in a
> particular belief system, what is important here is
> that they are all nonhuman intelligences that interact
> with the "natural" world (in quotes because I don't
> think premodern societies distinguish between natural
> and supernatural worlds -- come to think of it the
> distinction between the two makes no sense) and that
> all human societies of which I am aware believe in
> them. At least before the very recent past.
>
>
>
No, Chris, you're anthropomorphizing the animists' supernatural realm. I understand why--that's how we do the sacred realm in our societies--but that's a gross misrepresentation of animism. It is not that there is some intelligent, supernatural entity that "inhabits" people and things; the animist notion of "spirit" is more like a sacred force. It has nothing to do with our idea of spirits, gods, elves, vampiri, or angels. I'll grant you this: the belief in the "supernatural" realm is common across time and place. However, the belief that this supernatural realm is inhabited by "nonhuman intelligences" is far from universal.

Miles



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