Chapter 14, Supernatural Beliefs
Key Terms

cargo cults
Revitalization movements in Melanesia
intended to bring new life and purpose into a
society.

communal cults
Societies where groups of ordinary people
conduct religious ceremonies for the well-being
of the total community.

contagious magic
A form of magic based on the premise that
things, once in contact with a person (such as
a lock of hair), continue to influence that
person after separation.

covens
Local groups of witches found in major cities
in the United States, which are presided over
by high priestesses.

cult
Used in the early anthropological literature,
in a nonjudgmental way, to refer to a religious
group with its own set of beliefs, practices,
and rituals. In popular discourse, however, it
is a pejorative term referring to an antisocial
group of religious extremists whose goal is
mass suicide.

ecclesiastical cults
Highly complex religious systems consisting
of full-time priests.

imitative magic
A form of magic based on the idea that the
procedure performed resembles the desired
result, such as that sticking a dolllike image
with pins will harm the person the doll
represents.

individualistic cults
The least complex form of religious
organization in which each person is his or
her own religious specialist.

liberation theology
A form of Catholicism found widely through
South and Central America in which priests
and nuns became actively involved in
programs for social justice for the poor.

magic
A system of supernatural beliefs that involves
the manipulation of supernatural forces for
the purpose of intervening in a wide range of
human activities and natural events.

Mahdist movements
A term used to describe revitalization
movements in the Muslim world.

millenarian movements
Social movements by a repressed group of
people, which foresees better times at a
specific time in the future.

myths
Stories that transmit culturally meaningful
messages about the universe, the natural
and supernatural worlds, and a person’s
place within them.

nativistic movements
A religious force for social change found
among Native Americans.

religion
A set of beliefs in supernatural forces that
functions to provide meaning, peace of mind,
and a sense of control over unexplainable
phenomena.

religious nationalism
A phenomenon that is occurring in many
parts of the world today in which traditional
religious principles are merged with the
workings of government.

revitalization movements
Religious movements designed to bring about
a new way of life within a society.

rites of passage
Any ceremony celebrating the transition of a
person from one social status to another.

rites of solidarity
Any ceremony performed for the sake of
enhancing the level of social integration
among a group of people.

Satanists
Individuals belonging to a group of people
who worship Satan.

separatist Christian churches
Small-scale churches that break away from
the dominant church to gain greater political,
economic, social, and religious autonomy.

shamanistic cults
Forms of religion in which part-time religious
specialists called shamans intervene with the
deities on behalf of the clients.

shaman
A part-time religious specialist who is thought
to have supernatural powers by virtue of birth,
training, or inspiration.

sorcery
The performance of certain magical rites for
the purpose of harming other people.

vision quest
A ritual found among a number of Plains
Indian cultures where through visions people
establish special relationships with spirits who
provide them with knowledge, power, and
protection.

wicca
A modern-day movement of witches and
pagans.

witchcraft
An inborn, involuntary, and often unconscious
capacity to cause harm to other people.