Indigenous Churches: Anthropology of Christianity in Lowland South America

by ïlise Capredon (Editor), Cïsar Ceriani Cernadas (Editor), Minna Opas (Editor)

Overview

This book raises the question of what an Indigenous church is and how its members define their ties of affiliation or separation. Establishing a pioneering dialogue between Amazonian and Gran Chaco studies on Indigenous Christianity, the contributions address historical processes, cosmological conceptions, ritual practices, leadership dynamics, and material formations involved in the creation and diversification of Indigenous churches. Instead of focusing on the study of missionary ideologies and praxis, the book explores Indigenous peoples' interpretations of Christianity and the institutional arrangements they make to create, expand, or dismantle their churches. In doing so, the volume offers a South American contribution to the theoretical project of the anthropology of Christianity, especially as it relates to the issue of denominationalism and inter-denominational relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031144936
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	12/25/2022
Series:	Contemporary Anthropology of Religion
Edition description:	1st ed. 2022
Pages:	235
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Élise Capredon is Postdoctoral Researcher at Mondes Américains (EHESS-CNRS, France) and member of the ANR project “AMAZ”.

César Ceriani Cernadas is Senior Researcher of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) at the Institute of Anthropological Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires.

Minna Opas is Senior Lecturer in Study of Religion and Associate Professor of Anthropology of Religion at the University of Turku, Finland.

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION (Capredon, Ceriani, Opas): Indigenous Churches: Between Denominationalism, Ritual Life and Religious Alliances.-PART I: CHRISTIAN MATERIALITIES AND LEADERSHIP.- 2. CERIANI CERNADAS, César: Floating Charism: Leaderships, Denominations and Materialities in Argentine Chaco Indigenous Churches .- 3. OPAS, Minna: “They are very different from us”: Institutional form, leadership and interdenominational relations in Amazonia.- 4. ROZO PABÓN, Esteban: Christianity, Materiality, and the Critique of Modernity in the Colombian Amazon.- PART II: CHRISTIAN AFFILIATIONS, RITUALS AND SHAMANISM.- 5. CAPIBERIBE, Artionka: Evangelicals, Adventists and Catholics: Relational Indigenous Christianity of the Amazonian Frontier Brazil / French Guiana.- 6. TOLA, Florencia & ROBLEDO, Emilio: Dances of Praise: Pentecostal Ritual or Shamanic Resurgence?.- PART III: SCHISMS AND ALLIANCES.- 7. CAPREDON, Élise: Alliances and Divisions within an Indigenous Evangelical Movement: the Case of Shipibo-Conibo Churches (Peruvian Amazon).- 8. ESPINOSA, Mariana: Ethnography of uneasiness. Violence and Religion among the Guarani of the Andean Foothills in the 1970s, Argentina.- 9. GARCÍA BRICEÑO, Luis: Off the Baptist Path: Christian Becoming among Venezuelan Ye’kwanas.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"These studies contribute to extending anthropological knowledge of Indigenous Christianities by offering an updated account of religious affiliation in the South American lowlands, its varied links with colonization, modernity and interethnic networks, and above all of the inter-denominational relations between contemporary native churches. To paraphrase Saint Augustine, no one shall move Indigenous Christians from the faith that binds their minds with so many and such strong ties to the Christian religion. This volume helps us to understand why." (Diego Villar, IICS-CONICET/UCA, Argentina)

"Indigenous Churches is a landmark volume in the regional anthropology of Latin America and a welcome contribution to the study of native Christianities worldwide. The strength of this edited book lies both in the scope and diversity of its contributors, representing an extraordinary range of national academic affiliations and field sites, and also in the remarkable coherence of the key themes the authors explore. These themes reflect the historical moment we find ourselves in, one in which indigenous churches are established institutions which operate at several scales of governance and carry their own historical and political depth. The rich ethnographies presented here span the entire sub-continent and provide incisive case-studies of the 'plurality' of native churches, of the complexity of indigenous belief and the ontological dynamism of inter-denominational relationships within and beyond Christianity." (Vanessa Grotti, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Bologna)