Transcript Anthropology of Protestantism

ANTHROPOLOGY OF
PROTESTANTISM
Protestantism
 Began as reform movement in Catholic
church in early 1500’s in EU
 Martin Luther objected to “sale of
indulgences,” questioned celibacy of priests,
& doctrine of transubstantiation
 Ex-communicated in 1521 & lead reform
movement
 End of 1500’s: Protestant churches in N. EU &
Catholic churches in S. EU
Protestantism & politics
 Anglican church emerged in England &
Scandinavia, monarchs headed churches
 John Calvin = controlled reform movement
in Geneva
 Anabaptists = shunned worldly politics
 17th & 18th c. colonialism = N. Am. refuge
from repressive policies of EU churches
Early North America
 1630: Massachusetts Bay Colony , theocratic
state
 Rhode Island = religious tolerance
 Baptists = Calvinist, Arminian, Seventh Day
 1720’s: revival movement in New England
(emotional tie to divine); camp meetings;
“Great Awakenings”
 1776: post-revolution = religious freedom
opened opportunities for more Protestantisms
Common Beliefs
 Jesus Christ = 1st c. messianic leader in Palestine,
son of God, sent to earth to sacrifice self for sake
of humans
 Belief in Jesus’ divinity = resurrection into eternal
life in heaven
 Holy Spirit = power to communicate divine favor
& energy to believers
 Trinity = Father, Son, Holy Spirit
 Satan = fallen angel, rules Hell, tempts humans to
sin
Common Beliefs cont.
 Life’s task = achieve salvation by believing in
Christ’s divinity & forgiveness
 No confession or clerical celibacy (not in
scriptures)
 Bible = revealed word of God:
 Old Testament = Jewish holy scriptures
 New Testament = accounts of Jesus’ life, letters,
& histories from early followers
 Studying scriptures is essential to religious
devotion
Characteristics & themes
 No single theology, church organization,
ritual
 Over 17,000 denominations worldwide,
millions of followers
 Individual faith & personal experience are
most important
 Salvation achieved = personal faith &
awareness of Jesus’ benevolence
Pentecostal Revival
 Early 1900’s: US, Scandinavia, W. EU, E. EU
 Mid-1900’s = worldwide & continues to be
fastest spreading form of Christianity
 Syncretic churches emerged in nonwestern
socieities (eg. Aladura churches in Nigeria)
 Trance, possession, healing by Holy Spirit
compatible with indigenous systems of
belief
Protestant denominations
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Baptists
Methodists
Pentecostalists
Amish
Mennonites
Hutterites
Episcopalians
Presbyterians
Congregationalists
Unitarians
Fundamentalists
Mormons
Christian science
Anthropological Studies
1. Tshidi Methodists in South Africa
(Jean Comaroff)
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religion offered forum for symbolic statements of
dissent
2. Falwellian Fundamentalism in US politics
(Susan Harding)
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Fundamentalist language draws people in:
“jeremiads” = laments spiritual condition of world,
disastrous reckoning to come, call for profound
transformation of society
Enemy is secular humanism
Unfaithful are excluded
Anthropological Studies cont.
3. Colombian Pentecostalists & gender roles
(Elizabeth Brusco)
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Prohibits drinking, gambling, infidelity (improves
women’s standard of living)
Condemns violence, pride, self-indulgence (antimachismo)
Women & men = shared value system
4. Danish Protestants & community
(Andrew Buckser)
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Changes in religious groups directly related to how
people think about community
Why are Prostestant churches losing popularity in
Germany, England, & Denmark?