Abstract

HUME, Lynne. The Anthropology of Emerging Religions. Nueva antropol [online]. 2007, vol.20, n.67, pp.119-140. ISSN 0185-0636.

This paper outlines some of the ways that anthropologists have approached and reported religious beliefs and practices, from armchair theorizing to field-work based on long sojourns in the field taking an 'objective' stance, to the current approach that incorporates reflexivity and the questioning of the emic/ etic distinction. Various case studies of contemporary religious groups are cited (including those based on works of literary and cinematic fiction, the search for putative ancient pasts, experiences through drugs, and the syncretism of indigenous, Eastern and Western religious beliefs) in order to relay the state of the art. The smorgasbord of emergent religions and the current theoretical approaches in this area are discussed, and the paper points to the significance of how the researcher engages with beliefs and practices in the research process and how this factor can not only affect the outcome of the research but also subsequent theoretical approaches. Questions that are now being posed by some researchers taking a multi-disciplinary approach to beliefs include: what constitutes a scientifically valid knowledge of reality; is knowledge itself a product of hegemonic adroitness, and how can we report our data in different ways. Anthropology, as a discipline, has maintained a separatist position with regard to religious experiences; this paper suggests that we might look to other disciplines and try a more experimental approach in researching and theorizing about religion.