Spiritual Conflict and Folk Religion

One of the effects of globalization is that the boundary between overseas mission and local outreach is collapsing. And one thing I think missional Christians need to pay much more attention to is folk religion and spiritual conflict.

Most papers on folk religion discuss it in an African or otherwise overseas context. Yet all I have to do to meet folk religionists is to walk a few doors up the street to my Sri Lankan neighbours who practice folk Hinduism. What is more, I think most consumer religion could arguably be classified as western folk religion and I say this as a former adherent.

Similar problems plague discussions of spiritual conflict. For the most part the field has been abandoned to self-styled deliverance ministers who’s understanding of missiology and cultural context is often decidedly lacking.

These reflections come to me in pondering David Burnett’s article, “Spiritual Conflict and Folk Religion” Have a think about how this might be translated into western contexts.

10 responses to “Spiritual Conflict and Folk Religion”

Peggy

2008-06-12

Matt,
Thanks for the link to this article. You know of my deep concerns about the lack of balanced education regarding “spiritual warfare” in the church — and especially the “idolatry” of the health-at-all-costs mentality that drives much of society — sacred and secular.
I am still looking for someone to address another “excluded middle” area: the extent to which we cooperate with our bodies in both health and illness — and whether we can exert a level of “control” that is “natural” and not “divination” when it comes to discerning what is going on.
There are those who say that medical science’s “tests” are the only way to discern and treat “illness and disease”. And there are others who say that God is our healer and we are to trust that faith and prayer are primary responses to all health challenges.
In the middle are those who believe that surgery and drugs are last resorts rather that primary responses — that these do not heal, but frequently bring more damage. They look to other approaches to wellness, whether it is based on diet or exercise or meditation or breathing or herbs or physical manipulation (chiropractic, message, reflexology, cranial-sacral osteopathy) or meridian-based therapies (acupuncture, acupressure), or the dreaded “energy medicine” with quantum theories and bio-feedback and applied kinesiology and ultra-low-frequencies, magnetic, resonance and vibrational therapies, or homeopathy or naturopathy. Not to mention color and essential oils and aromatherapy. And many of these are intermingled!
My studies of Christians looking at these areas in the “excluded middle” are way too quick to look for “contamination” — yet they do not recognized the contamination in the modern medical arena. They are not willing to look far enough and talk with the successfully “normal” practitioners of these new methodologies.
…I’m looking for that conversation. Any leads? Philip Johnson and his wife have begun to ask some of the right questions, but they have barely scratched the whole “energy medicine” arena, which, IMO, is where the biggest issue lies. Those who understand some of the theory are beginning to realize that it is foundational to most of the therapies I listed above. As a result, it is critical that it be better understood.
Anybody out there read James L Oschman’s two books on Energy Medicine (2000 and 2003). I’ve read each of them at least four times (not being a science girl :^( ) [Fortunately, I bought my copies years ago. They are listed at around $50 these days!] Anyway, he has some very important things to say.

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Matt Stone

2008-06-13

Peggy, just a few thoughts here.
Firstly, you mentioned “In the middle are those who believe that surgery and drugs are last resorts rather that primary responses”. I agree that they are more likely to place emphasis on prevention rather than cure but I am wary of drawing too strong a dichotomy. Many practitioners prefer to refer to these modalities as “complimentary medicine” and affirm, that they can run in parallel to other treatments and that you should always follow doctor’s advise.
Secondly, Phil has many more ideas than have been published to date. Though he does not go to far into specific modalities in his article on energy healing it does set out a basic methodology for theological exploration. The two issues he raises which I think need to be deeply pondered are firstly, his caution against the extremes of uncritical acceptance or uncritical rejection, and secondly, the links between “energy” and “Spirit” and the need for Christians to critically grapple with the pantheistic assumptions inherent in many of these modalities. A balanced response will probably involve a mix of partial acceptance, partial challenge and modification.
In all of think a key area of theological exploration needs to be biblical anthropology. What constitutes health from a Christian perspective, what should we hope for, what do we have to say about chakras, that sort of thing.

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Peggy

2008-06-13

Matt,
Of course it is “complementary” — which means that there are a variety of ways to approach any given health concern. But all too often the “complementary” end doesn’t get in until the drugs and surgery have already ruined the environment, as it were, requiring herculean results to overcome the damage.
And I agree that the key area of exploration needs to be what constitutes health from a Christian perspective and what is appropriate hope and what borders on idolatry. I am sorry that many of those who have written about this are locking so much of it up in books to be acquired … I’m trying to keep the number of books I buy down! :^)
Absolutely, there needs to be critical discussion that is willing to look at the edges and not throw out the baby with the bath water … while also not straining at a gnat but swallowing a fly. Dr. Oschman shines a pretty bright light on the prejudices in the scientific and medical communities when it comes to “energy”.
It is precisely the dearth of critical yet balanced conversations about the subtle understandings of “energy” and “Spirit” that needs to be addressed. And everything I’ve read so far (of course not exhaustive!) is not asking the questions I’m asking as a result of Oschman’s work.
So, I’m still looking for someone who’s even heard of him (and not because I’ve been asking about him!), much less read either or both of his books, who can engage in a truly balanced conversation.
Sigh….

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Steve Hayes

2008-06-13

One of the things that I find interesting in myself is that when I look at religions other than my own, I find the folk religion much more interesting and attractive, but when I look at my own, I tend to look down on it from the point of view of “theology”. Well, not altogether. But that’s a long story, too long to tell in a comment.
I find abstract philosophical Hinduism inexpressably boring, and when it comes to Advaita Vedanta I go to sleep, but Hindu cults I find interesting. I’m interested in the stories of the gods, and who worships which ones and why. I find the fire walking ceremonies interesting too.
Now Christianity also has folk religion — what the people who come to weddings and funerals believe, or the ones who rock up at Christmas and Easter. And sometimes they strike me as appallingly ignorant about the central features of the faith — they can tell you exactly how to spit on a baby to avoid the evil eye, but they’ve never even noticed the locks, bolts and chains falling into the abyss in the ikon of the resurrection, even if they’ve seen it every Easter for 40 years or more.
Our church choir director used get annoyed at phone calls on the Tuesday before Easter, from people asking what time we would be singing the “Kassiani” — she didn’t know what they were talking about, or what it was. After a bit of research, she found that it was a hymn, and lots of people want to know what time it will be sung and leave the church immediately after the singing of it, and we sang it in English, to a different tune, and so they were disappointed. And that’s the kind of folk religion I tend to get a bit impatient with. And also with the people who come into the church on Good Friday, not for the service, but to nick the flowers off the tomb.
But then I must admit I’m fascinated by the Orthodox fire walking services in some parts of northern Greece, which bishops tend to disdain as superstitious folk religion, but I think is cool (well, they keep cool in the fire, like the three holy children in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, don’t they?)

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Matt Stone

2008-06-15

Peggy, you might try Sally Coleman. I seem to recall from my threads on “missional pneumatology” that she has some interest in energy healing. She may have heard of him.
Though I must say, you’re probably coming across what many of us who’ve done Mind Body Spirit ministries have, and that is, when you engage deep enough, sooner or later you’ll find yourself exploring new conjunctions that NOBODY else has has. There is so much work and so few workers that its somewhat inevitable. And yes, cutting edge conversations are generally pretty lonely ones. Goes with the territory. All I can suggest is, try and articulate your ideas as best as you can, blog it and keep blogging it as your ideas develop.

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Matt Stone

2008-06-15

Steve, I am probably a bit more relaxed when it comes to high and low religion, indeed I think there is a sense in which we need both if we are to avoid split level Christianity.
Folk religion often concerns itself with guidance (divination, prophecy, discernment, etc.) and empowerment (magic, prayer, blessings, curses, healing, luck, protection, etc) but these need to be integrated within a broader theological framework which is where formal religion comes in. But often it does not. I think a major challenge for people ministering amongst the “spiritual but not religious” is to give clear practical guidance on and training in such things without compromising the essentials. Practical theologies of guidance and healing stand in the transition zone between formal and informal religion. Crisis rites are another area I find quite fascinating in this respect.

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John W. Morehead

2008-06-15

Matt, any idea as to how ot contact Burnett to begin dialogue on how these issues might translate to a western context? I’d like to introduce him to our work and reflections.

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Matt Stone

2008-06-17

I sent out some feelers to the All Nations Christian College and the Royal Anthropological Institute. He seems to have had some association with them, though I am not sure if it current. We’ll see what happens.

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Peggy

2008-06-18

Thanks, Matt. I sent her an e-mail with a link to this thread….
Now, if The Abbess was to start blogging about energy medicine, just what do you think would happen??? Hmmm, I’ll have to ponder that one a bit longer…. 😉

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Matt Stone

2008-06-18

Well, did you ever catch the synchroblog post I did on “entranced prayer”? Or more to the point, the online firestorm it set off? What I wrote was grounded in Acts 10:10, Acts 11:5 and Acts 22:17 but the Biblical references seemed to just antagonize those threatened by the subject even further by making the challenge even sharper. Few critics took the time to digest the substance of what I was saying or engage with the Biblical questions – most of it was culture shock / boundary maintenance reaction at a gut level I gathered.
Consider this before you act: these are conversations where not having institutional authority can actually be an advantage. I have no authority to loose so I have more freedom of speach than any pastor. What I say has to be either accepted or rejected on the strength of the argument. The consequences for people like yourself can be more dire. Another person who participates in these synchroblogs was asked to resign from a ministry position in a very consevative church over a less controversial thread at the same time this was going on. These are risky conversations. So yes, weigh it up first.

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