Spirituality, Religion,
and the Supernatural
Part III
Magic:
Among the most fascinating of ritual practices
is application of the belief that supernatural
powers can be compelled to act in certain
ways for good or evil purposes by recourse to
certain specified formulas.
 Many societies have magical rituals to ensure
good crops, the replenishment of game, the
fertility of domestic animals, and the
avoidance or healing of illness in humans.

Magic:

In the 19th century Scottish anthropologist
Sir James George Frazer made a useful
distinction between two fundamental
principles of magic: imitative magic and
contagious magic.
– Imitative magic: magic based on the principle
that like produces like; sometimes called
sympathetic magic
– Contagious magic: magic based on the principle
that things or persons once in contact can
influence each other after the contact is broken.
Witchcraft:
In Salem, Massachusetts, 200 innocent
citizens suspected of being witches were
arrested in 1692; of these thirteen women
and six men were hanged, and one 80-yearold farmer was tortured to death.
 Witchcraft: an explanation of events based
on the belief that certain individuals possess
an innate psychic power capable of causing
harm, including sickness and death.

Ibibio Witchcraft:
As the Ibibio of Nigeria have become
increasingly exposed to modern education
and scientific training, their reliance on
witchcraft as an explanation for misfortune
has increased
 traditional Ibibio attribute virtually all
misfortune, illness, or death to the
malevolent activity of witches.

Ibibio Witchcraft:
To identify a witch, an Ibibio looks for any
person living in the region whose behavior
is considered odd, out of the ordinary
immoral, or unsocial.
 Witches are apt to look and act mean and
to be socially disruptive people in the
sense that their behavior exceeds the
range of variance considered acceptable.

Ibibio Witchcraft:
Sorcerers are the very embodiment of a
society’s conception of evil – beings that
flout the rules of sexual behavior and
disregard every other standard of decency
 Typically, they are morose, arrogant, and
unfriendly people who keep to themselves
but otherwise cause little disturbance

– Not surprisingly, people viewed as witches are
usually treated with considerable caution,
respect, and even fear.
Functions of Witchcraft:
Witchcraft functions as an effective way
for people to explain away personal
misfortune without having to shoulder any
of the blame themselves.
 Witchcraft may also provide an outlet for
feelings of hostility and frustration without
disturbing the norms of the larger group,
and hence functions as an agent of social
control.

Functions of Witchcraft:
Sanctions a wide range of conduct by
providing notions of right and wrong.
 Sets standards for acceptable behavior
and helps perpetuate an existing social
order.
 Lifts burden of decision making from
individuals and places responsibility with
god.
 Plays a role in maintaining social solidarity.

Functions of Religion:
– First, religion provides an orderly model of the
universe and thereby reduces fears and anxieties.
– Second, it sanctions a range of conduct by
providing notions of right and wrong-and by
setting guidelines for acceptable behavior, it helps
perpetuate an existing social order.
Functions of Religion:
– Third, religion serves to lift the burden of
decision making from individuals and places
responsibility with the gods.
– Fourth, it plays a large role in maintaining
social solidarity.
– Finally, religion serves educational purposes
as ritual ceremonies enhance the learning of
tribal lore.
Revitalization Movements:
Revitalization movement: a movement for radical
cultural reform in response to widespread social
disruption and collective feelings o great stress
and despair.
 Cargo cults: a spiritual movement in reaction to
disruptive contact with Western capitalism,
promising resurrection of deceased relatives,
destruction or enslavement of while foreigners,
and the magical arrival of utopian riches.

Sufism

A Sufi sema (prayer dance) in Istanbul, Turkey. Sufism, a
mystical Muslim movement that emerged in the late 10th
century, borrowing ideas from Buddhism, Christianity,
and Neoplatonism, emphasizes the surrender of
individual ego and attachment to worldly things in order
to be receptive to God’s grace.
Cargo Cult

Spiritual movements in Melanesia in
reaction to disruptive contact with
Western capitalism promising resurrection
of deceased relatives, destruction or
enslavement of white foreigners, and the
magical coming of utopian riches.