Ideas of Possession
Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Perspectives
Published on 18. December 2024
Book
Hardback
456 pages
978-0-19-767992-0 (ISBN)
Description
The idea that an external force can enter an individual and possess their body is prevalent in most cultures across the globe and throughout history. This possession can last for varying lengths of time, and its effects can be considered positive--when a "spirit" provides the individual with powers, abilities, knowledge, or authority--or negative--when the individual suffers and the "spirit" should ideally be cast out, usually through a ritual performed by someone with a designated role.
The study of possession remains marginal in most academic disciplines, but current public discourses indicate that the topic remains relevant across modern and postmodern societies. A globalized world has brought about an unprecedented situation in which decidedly different ideas about possession influence one another, and people attribute a wide variety of experiences and behaviors to spiritual possession. There are those who describe themselves as possessed, sometimes as an inherent element of their identities, and those who are labelled as possessed by others, though this label often comes with a stigma.
Ideas of Possession brings together scholars of various disciplines to consolidate an ongoing academic discussion on how possession is understood within different cultural contexts. Essays present ideas of possession from Antiquity, Biblical Studies, Religious Studies, History, Ethnology, Anthropology, and Psychology, demonstrating how each field's approach to this subject can benefit from interdisciplinary dialogue as we attempt to make sense of such a broad range of interpretations.
The study of possession remains marginal in most academic disciplines, but current public discourses indicate that the topic remains relevant across modern and postmodern societies. A globalized world has brought about an unprecedented situation in which decidedly different ideas about possession influence one another, and people attribute a wide variety of experiences and behaviors to spiritual possession. There are those who describe themselves as possessed, sometimes as an inherent element of their identities, and those who are labelled as possessed by others, though this label often comes with a stigma.
Ideas of Possession brings together scholars of various disciplines to consolidate an ongoing academic discussion on how possession is understood within different cultural contexts. Essays present ideas of possession from Antiquity, Biblical Studies, Religious Studies, History, Ethnology, Anthropology, and Psychology, demonstrating how each field's approach to this subject can benefit from interdisciplinary dialogue as we attempt to make sense of such a broad range of interpretations.
Reviews / Votes
Scholarly approaches utilized in analyzing ideas of possessioninclude anthropology, biblical studies, cultural studies,ethnology, history, religious studies, and psychology. This diversity of analytical lenses, paired with the range in temporaland geographical scope, makes this a fascinating volume foranyone interested in spirit possession specifically, the variousscholars' respective fields (e.g., anthropology, religiousstudies) and/or comparative research across time, place, andacademic discipline. * Joseph L. Kimmel, Religious Studies Review * Scholars of new religions interested in shamanic practices, channeling, exorcism, and related spirit work will find this book worth reading. * Benjamin E. Zeller, Nova Religio *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 221 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 46 mm
Weight
726 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-767992-0 (9780197679920)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Nicole M. Bauer | J. Andrew Doole
Ideas of Possession
Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Perspectives
E-Book
10/2024
OUP eBook
€97.99
Available for download
Nicole M. Bauer | J. Andrew Doole
Ideas of Possession
Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Perspectives
E-Book
10/2024
OUP eBook
€97.99
Available for download
Persons
Nicole M. Bauer is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Graz.
J. Andrew Doole is Assistant Professor in the Department for Biblical Studies and Historical Theology at the University of Innsbruck.
J. Andrew Doole is Assistant Professor in the Department for Biblical Studies and Historical Theology at the University of Innsbruck.
Content
Nicole M. Bauer & J. Andrew Doole: Introduction: An Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Approach to the Study of Possession 1: Ulrike Steinert & Jonny Russell: Ideas of Possession in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia: A Comparative View 2: Michael J Morris: Names of Authority in the Demonologies of Ancient Judaism and Christianity 3: Tom de Bruin: My Body Made Me Do It: Non-invasive Possession in Early Christianity 4: Giovanni B. Bazzana: "As If by Love Possessed": Spirits and Possession in the Acts of Thomas 5: Yoram Bilu: The Life Cycle of Dybbuk Possession in Judaism: Origins, Attenuation, Afterlife 6: Carlos Watzka: Demonic Possession and the Proof of True Faith: Habsburgs, Lutherans and the Devil in Austria 7: Nicole M. Bauer: The Psychologization of Exorcism: Diagnosing Demonic Possession in the Roman Catholic Church in Austria 8: Andrea De Antoni: That Old Feeling: Entangling Traditional Symptoms and Experiences of Possession through Catholic Exorcism in Contemporary Italy 9: Veronica Gimenez Beliveau: Possession and Exorcism in Roman Catholic Charismatic Groups: A Comparative Ethnographic Study in France and Argentina 10: Bettina E. Schmidt: "It makes me complete": Anthropological Insights into Spirit Possession as Cultural Practice in Brazil 11: Annette Hornbacher & William Sax: Possession and the Modern Soul in Bali and India 12: Svetlana Ryzhakova: Trance and Spirit-Possession: Reflections on the Daiv=ar=adhane Tradition of Tu.lun=adu, India 13: Gerhard van den Heever: Exorcizing Devilsdorp: Demonization and Satanic Possession in South Africa 14: Assia Harwazinski: Demonic Possession and Curative Exorcism in Contemporary Jordan 15: Lukas K. Pokorny and Dominic S. Zoehrer: "All evil spirits must be brushed off": Possession and Liberation in the Unification Movement 16: Lukas K. Pokorny and Patricia Sophie Mayer: Possession and Exorcism in K=ofuku no Kagaku 17: Jeannette Mageo: Colonial and Postcolonial Spirits: States of Possession and Culture History in Polynesia and Micronesia 18: Michael Utsch: Dealing with Possession in Contemporary Germany: Interpretations from Parapsychology, Christian Churches, Shamanic Counselling, and Religion-Sensitive Psychotherapy 19: Marsha Aileen Hewitt: Trance, Dreams and Possession: A Comparative Psychoanalytic Study 20: Julia Rehn: Possession and the Soul in the Context of New Shamanism 21: Michael Sersch: Demons in the Country, Demons in the City: Conspiratorial Thinking in the Context of Possession 22: Matt Goldish: The Case for a Universal, Symptom-Based Definition of Possession 23: Nicole M. Bauer & J. Andrew Doole: Concluding Remarks