Animism
by
Anthony Casey
Historic Development
• First spoken of in 1873 in Religion in Primitive Culture by Edward B.
Taylor.
– “The doctrine of Spiritual Beings”
– From Latin ‘anima’ meaning breath or soul.
• Evolutionary influence
• Study animistic cultures, get a picture of a “pure” culture and
religion.
• Most primitive, what major world religions evolved from.
• More study revealed the complexity of animism. Spiritual beings >
impersonal beings > personal and known beings (departed
ancestors influencing the living).
• Early terms: primitive, savage, pagan, heathen beliefs
• Currently referred to as animism, folk, or tribal religion.
Van Rheenen’s Definition
Animism = the belief that personal spiritual
beings and impersonal spiritual forces have
power over human affairs and, consequently,
that human beings must discover what beings
and forces are influencing them in order to
determine future action and, frequently, to
manipulate their power.
Van Rheenen’s Definition
• Personal spiritual beings and impersonal
forces
• These forces have power over human affairs
• Humans must discover which beings and
forces influence them and then how to
manipulate their power
• Animism is power and fear driven
Animistic Worldview
Remote High God
Living Dead
Spirits
(Personalized Dead) (Impersonalized Dead)
Created Spirits
Intermediaries
Realm of humanity
and things
Keith Eitel, Missiology
The spirit world’s
powers intervene in
humanity’s normal
experiences.
People must
appease these
forces to sustain
life.
Animistic Worldview
High Cosmic god
– Created life and the world
– Impersonal and distant, rarely directly worshipped
– Act of ancestral folly caused a separation between
the creator god and humans
– The earth is left to be governed by lesser gods,
spirits, and humans
Animistic Worldview
Middle Spirit Level
– Local spirits mediate between the cosmic god and
everyday human life
– Spirits can be malevolent or benevolent and
control a power sphere such as wealth, health,
fertility, luck, ect.
– Humans must cooperate with and appease the
spirits and gain their favor
– Spirits differ from powers/forces
Animistic Worldview
Realm of everyday life
– Past Oriented
– Humans have an inner life force that must remain
strong
– Spirit influence can cause the life force to wane,
bringing on weakness, forgetfulness, soul fright,
and bad luck
– Shamans are the animistic priests and have the
knowledge and power to influence the spirit world
for human favor
Animistic Worldview
Appeasement Methods
– Sacrifices
– Chants and rituals
– Amulets and life packs
– Magic
• Homeopathy (or Sympathy) and contagion
Missions Significance
Most people, historically, come to Christ out of
an animistic background
– 40% from a pure animist culture
– 70% of Muslims are folk Muslims
– Syncretistic nature of animism
Missions Significance
Similarity between animistic legends and
Scripture
– Creates bridges for the gospel
• Peace child, banana stalk, Fon and Ashanti story of
python
– Cultural truths given in story form
Approaching Animism
•
•
•
•
Ask the right questions
When to ask the questions?
Danger of syncretism
Flaw of the Excluded Middle
High/Low Religious Systems Compared to
Great/Little Tradition
-Religion oriented
-Elite, specialized leadership
-Codes of belief, holy books,
theologies
- Cosmos, eternal
- Institutionalized
Great
Tradition
High Religion
- Here and now
- Event oriented
Low Religion
- Low level
institutionalization
-Magic oriented
“folk” village level
comprehension
-Relates to daily
needs, fears
-Strong animistic
influence
Sensory Perceptual Level
Dr. Norm Allison
Cognitive Domains (R.Horton; B. Wilson)
Little
Tradition
Daily Activities
Belief and Social Order (R. Redfield)
Confronting Animism
Power Encounter
– Direct physical presence of a Spirit-anointed
Christian
– Commanding demons, entering buildings,
destroying amulets
– Peter Wagner, Tom White, Charles Kraft – Fuller
Seminary
Confronting Animism
Truth Encounter
– Combating the enemy’s lies with the truth of
Scripture
– Neil Anderson ministries – bondage breaker
Confronting Animism
Holistic Approach
– Danger of over-emphasizing power or truth
encounter or avoiding the issue
– Finding the answer to everyday practical issues
like crop success, finding a spouse, fertility
through critical contextualization
– Need to stay long enough to understand the
culture and work with the indigenous believers
– Avoid syncretism through discipleship