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eli-kittim · 4 years

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The Quran: Revelation or Forgery?

By Goodreads Author Eli Kittim

——-

Did Muhammad Exist?

Before we embark on a brief criticism of the Quran, it’s important to note that there is “very little biographical information” (Wiki) concerning the historicity of its founder, Muhammad:

Attempts to distinguish between the

historical elements and the unhistorical

elements of many of the reports of

Muhammad have not been very successful

(Wiki).

(see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Muhammad#Views_of_secular_historians).

Of course, this opens up the possibility of whether or not the unknown author of the Quran invented the Muhammad tradition to bolster his credibility. In order to determine the answer to this question, it is crucial to consider the evidence of *intertextuality* in the Quran, that is to say, the literary dependence of the Quran on earlier texts and sources.

——-

How historically reliable is the Quran?

Firstly, with regard to source criticism——that is, the sources that the Quran’s message is derived from——there are some very serious issues involved. For example, there are well-known parallelisms between the Quran and the extra-biblical, non-inspired book of Talmud (e.g. Surah 5:32; cf. Sanhedrin 37a) as well as borrowing from Christian apocryphal works that were written hundreds of years after the purported events and which claim to be legitimate Christian gospels but are not. Case in point, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas:

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is thought to

be Gnostic in origin. . . . Early Christians

regarded the Infancy Gospel of Thomas as

inauthentic and heretical. Hippolytus

identified it as a fake and a heresy in his

Refutation of All Heresies, and his

contemporary Origen referred to it in a

similar way in a homily written in the early

third century. Eusebius rejected it as a

heretical ‘fiction’ in the third book of his

fourth-century Church History, and Pope

Gelasius I included it in his list of heretical

books in the fifth century. While non-

canonical in Christianity, the Infancy Gospel

of Thomas contains many miracles and

stories of Jesus referenced in the Qur'an,

such as Jesus giving life to clay birds (Wiki).

So, the Quran clearly employs Jewish and Christian apocryphal works that were never accepted as canonical or as “inspired” either by Jews or Christians. Thus, at least some of the sources of the Quran are highly dubious.

Secondly, in 632 CE, following Muhammad’s death, the Battle of Yamama ensued where a great number of those who had supposedly retained the Quran in their memory (hafiz) actually died. How then can Muslims claim the preservation of the Quran through memory and oral transmission?

Thirdly, the New Testament is the best attested book from the ancient world as well as the most scrutinized book in history, and one which has a critical edition. By contrast, the Quran has not been critically scrutinized rigorously in the same manner, nor does it have a critical edition, nor is the manuscript evidence made available to scholars for serious study. There’s a secrecy surrounding it that seems to prevent scholarly investigations. For example, because it lacks a critical edition, there are no footnotes in the Quran to notify the reader about manuscript evidence or textual discrepancies or omissions, such that “(some verses eaten by a goat; Ibn Majah, Book of Nikah, p.39) or that (Umar records the missing verses; Bukhari 8.82.816 & 817).

Fourthly, Orientalists have often questioned the historical authenticity of the Quran by charging Uthman ibn Affan (the 3rd Caliph of Islam) of consigning variant copies of the Quran to the flames during his reign.

Fifthly, the controlled transmission of the Quran makes it impossible to know what was the original. Hence its textual integrity is seriously compromised. By contrast, in the case of the New Testament, for example, since no one person controlled all the manuscripts, it would be impossible to uniformly corrupt all the documents. In the case of the Quran, however, the text was in fact controlled by one person, the khalifa, as attested by Uthman's authority to recall and uniformly revise all the manuscripts. Therefore, it would have been extremely easy for the Quran to have been uniformly corrupted in a textually undetectable manner. For example, the “Sanaa manuscript,” which contains earlier developments of the Quran, demonstrates textual variances that diverge from the Uthman copy.

In conclusion, the Quran doesn’t allow us to come any closer to the original text than the Uthmanic Revised Standard Version 20 years removed from Muhammad. Any errors which found their way into the URSV would be permanent and uncorrectable. And, unfortunately, historical accounts from early Islam tell us that such errors existed!

——-

The Quran is Based on Dubious Sources

Besides the numerous and traceable Judeo-Christian apocryphal works that the author used within the Quran itself, he also got a lot of his ideas from a group that was an offshoot of the Ebionites called the “Sabians,” variously known as Mandaeans or Elcesaites. The Sabians followed Hermeticism and adored John the Baptizer:

Occasionally,

Mandaeans are called

‘Christians of Saint

John’ . . . the ‘Sabians’

are described several

times in the Quran as

People of the Book,

alongside Jews and

Christians (Wiki).

According to Origen and Eusebius, the Sabians used an extra-biblical book that they claimed was given by an Angel (maybe another idea adopted by Muhammad?) to deny portions of Scripture as well as the writings of Paul! So, this idea of challenging Christianity and claiming to have received a new revelation from an angel is quite common in ancient times. It is not unique to Islam. Others had made similar claims. Thus, without completely rejecting the possibility of *revelation* in at least some portions of the Quran, the majority of its theological narratives are largely based on dubious and questionable sources, derived from spurious texts that were under the radar of heresiologists across the ancient world!

——-

Two Apocryphal Works Employed by the Quran to Deny the Crucifixion of Jesus

//Second Treatise of the Great Seth is an apocryphal Gnostic writing discovered in the Codex VII of the Nag Hammadi codices and dates to around the third century. The author is unknown, and the Seth referenced in the title appears nowhere in the text. Instead Seth is thought to reference the third son of Adam and Eve to whom gnosis was first revealed, according to some gnostics. The author appears to belong to a group of gnostics who maintain that Jesus Christ was not crucified on the cross. Instead the text says that Simon of Cyrene was mistaken for Jesus and crucified in his place. Jesus is described as standing by and "laughing at their ignorance”// (Wiki).

//The Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter is a text found amongst the Nag Hammadi library, and part of the New Testament apocrypha. Like the vast majority of texts in the Nag Hammadi collection, it is heavily gnostic. It was probably written around 100-200 AD. Since the only known copy is written in Coptic, it is also known as the Coptic Apocalypse of Peter.

The text takes gnostic interpretations of the crucifixion to the extreme, picturing Jesus as laughing and warning against people who cleave to the name of a dead man, thinking they shall become pure. Like some of the rarer Gnostic writings, this one also doubts the established Crucifixion story which places Jesus on the cross. Instead, according to this text, there was a substitute:

He whom you saw on the

tree, glad and laughing,

this is the living Jesus.

But this one into whose

hands and feet they

drive the nails is his

fleshly part, which is the

substitute being put to

shame, the one who

came into being in his

likeness. But look at him

and me// (Wiki).

This is attested in the Quran:

That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ

Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of

Allah’—but they killed him not, nor crucified

him, but so it was made to appear to them,

and those who differ therein are full of

doubts, with no [certain] knowledge, but

only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they

killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto

Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power,

Wise (Sura 4:157-158, Yusuf Ali).

——-

A Possible Forgery: Is Muhammad Copying Augustine?

Muhammad (570 – 632 CE) seems to have modelled his conversion on Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430 CE), who was without a doubt the greatest theologian and philosopher of his day! Case in point, in 386 CE, Augustine converted to Christianity from the pagan Machanean religion. Similarly, in 610 CE, Muhammad converted to Islam from the “Jahiliyya" religion, which worshipped Allah as the creator god as well as the Kaaba in Mecca. About 224 years earlier St. Augustine had heard a voice that told him to “take up and read,” a line which became very famous and reverberated through the centuries:

As Augustine later told it, his conversion

was prompted by hearing a child's voice

say ‘take up and read’ (Latin: tolle, lege).

Resorting to the Sortes Sanctorum, he

opened a book of St. Paul's writings (codex

apostoli, 8.12.29) at random and read

Romans 13: 13–14: Not in rioting and

drunkenness, not in chambering and

wantonness, not in strife and envying, but

put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no

provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts

thereof (Wiki).

By comparison, Muhammad appears to have used a similar line to claim that he, too, heard an Angel’s voice repeatedly say to him: “Read.” Given that Muhammad was presumably familiar with Judaism and Christianity (and especially with the foremost leading authority of his day, the African Augustine of Hippo), it seems very likely that he modelled his conversion on the latter. And, if true, that would certainly constitute a forgery!

——-

Are Allah’s Oaths Self-contradictory in the Quran?

The aforementioned textual criticisms are further compounded when we realize that the Quran contains further theological discrepancies. For example, there are numerous verses in the Quran where Allah is swearing by created things that are less-than-God, thus committing “shirk” (i.e. the sin of ascribing divine status to any other beings beside Allah). Here’s a case in point. In sura 81:15, Allah says: “But nay! I swear by the stars.” Another example is sura 91 verse 1: “I swear by the sun and its brilliance.” When God supposedly swears by something which is less than himself the truth value of his assertion is obviously weakened. By definition, an oath is meant to buttress an argument, not to decrease the weight thereof. Therefore, the truth value of an oath is equivalent to, and connected with, the truth value of the one who declares it. As such, Allah’s oaths (swearing by created things) directly contradict his so-called divine status. By contrast, the God of the Bible swears by Himself, since there is nothing greater to swear under (cf. Gen. 22.16; Isa. 45.23; Heb. 6.13). By definition, an oath is a solemn attestation of the truth of one's words. In this case, how can Allah’s oaths be trustworthy if they appeal to something that is less than himself? Answer: they cannot! It appears, then, that the aforementioned oaths in the Quran are reflecting a human rather than a divine author.

——-

Is Muhammad the Prophesied False Prophet of Revelation?

During the Early Middle

Ages, Christendom

largely viewed Islam as a

Christological heresy

and Muhammad as a

false prophet (Wiki).

In short, following the Arab conquest of the Middle East and due to the *military expansion* of Islam into Europe and Central Asia since the 700’s (toppling one country after another), Muhammad was increasingly seen as a possible candidate for the office of the *false-prophet-of-Revelation* (cf. Rev. 16.13; 19.20; 20.10): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Christian_views_on_Muhammad

——-

Conclusion

Muslims claim that the Quran is neither corrupted nor influenced by Judeo-Christian sources, and yet upon further scrutiny the book clearly incorporates passages from both the Jewish Talmud and from various Christian apocryphal works. Plagiarism abounds, and so does forgery. Therefore, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to maintain that it’s a “revelation” when at least some of the sources of the Quran are highly dubious!

Moreover, Islam has nothing new to offer by way of revelation. Its doctrine could simply be classified as a modified theological redundancy of the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Biblical heritage that preceded it. The main difference between Islam and Christianity is this. Unlike the Quran’s singular witness and source——given that it was only revealed to *one* man (Muhammad)——the revelations of the New Testament were imparted to many different people, thereby authenticating its message by multiple attestations and witnesses!

——-

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theuniversitychallengereview · 4 years

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UC 49.34 - Trinity, Cam vs Jesus, Ox

I’ve been furloughed, which you’d think would result in a more well-researched and tightly edited blog than usual given all of the extra time I find on my hands. But predictably you’d have been wrong (the fact that I’ve spent much of that time trying to wash it off of my hands for hygeine purposes notwisthstanding).

I did watch the Godfather this morning though, so my time hasn’t been completely wasted. I was having bluetooth sync issues so went on YouTube for some tips and the guy in the video was also watching The Godfather (just an interesting little coincidence for you there).

Furlough is one of those words that makes you understand how infuriating it must be to learn English as a foriegn language. Its a fairly rare word, so many native speakers won’t have known which of the ‘ough’ sounds should follow the ‘furl’ (as in rough, cough, through, plough and though etc). Is it fur-loh, fur-low, fur-luff, fur-loff or fur-loo? For me it seemed right that furlough should be fur-low, to rhyme with cow, but then furloughed to rhyme with though. I was right on one count, but furlough is just one of a number of terms that have been added to the national lexicon at breakneck speed over the past few weeks. Social distancing, herd immunity, self-isolate, ‘Protect the NHS’ (actually, this one only counts when its Boris saying it. Plenty of us have been saying it for years)

And the word itself isn’t the only weird thing about furloughing (in this formI would have guessed it’d be fur-loffing). I’m fortunate that I’ll be okay with 80% of my pay, but for some people that won’t be enough, but they can’t do anything else to make up the rest. And then what do you do all day? I’ve seen a bunch of Self-Betterment gurus on the tweets saying that if you don’t master at least one language and martial art (each) then you’re a total failure who lacks the discipline to make anything of themselves in life, which is obviously bollocks. Everyone is in a different situation so for some people simply carrying on will be a great victory.

But it still feels like we should be doing something, because the alternative is just to read the news and lose yourself in worry. But what do we do? Constant distraction can feel like a cop out too, like you’re not facing up and acknowledging everything thats going on, taking a holiday instead of action, although that doesn’t make much sense as a stance either. The best action most of us can take is inaction, and besides, there’ll be people who’ve never had more than three weeks off work in decades, so do they not deserve to treat this like a holiday, even if in these circumstances it can feel guilty to do so?

Anyway, tell you what, The Godfather is properly marvelous isn’t it? A stone cold classic, I say, and you can take that to the bank. Also, a little bonus on top of the earlier coincidence, this was both the first time I’d watched the Godfather and the first time I’d ever used Bluetooth headphones with my laptop. Make of that what you will.

Last week, which feels like a lot longer ago than a week (I’d place it at more than a fortnight at least, were I a betting man. I’d have lost that bet of course, which is why I’m not a betting man, but the point stands) Trinity College, Cambridge absolutely walloped Jesus College, Oxford in the final Quarter Final of University Challenge 2019-20 (that’s right, I’m flipping the switch (note the highly contemporary reference to Tik-Tok, a social media platform which continues to baffle me) and revealing the result at the start of the blog (or at least the middle) rather than the end).

That paragraph had 29 words outside brackets, 48 words inside brackets, and 22 words inside brackets inside brackets, which I think might be a personal record. Anyway...

Trinity had certainly come into this match as favourites, with their loss to Corpus Christi somewhat of an aberration, with Durham the only other team to get within 60 points of them in three other appearances. Jesus by contrast, had a combined margin of only 80 from their three wins, in addition to the pair of losses they had to their name. But they tended to put up a fight even in defeat, so this shouldn’t have been a whitewash.

It was though (th-off).

Both sides missed the opening starter, but Hughes got Trinity going with the replacement. He would go on to have a jolly old time in this episode, racking up seven correct buzzes in total, along with a clear and large gain of confidence. Hourihan too, seemed far more comfortable on the buzzer towards the end of the match, when victory was more than assured. If they could take that same self-belief into then they’d have a cracking chance of making the final.

They’ll need to hold their nerve though, and keep going for it even if things aren’t going their way, seeing as in the one match they lost, they were blown away from the start and struggled to recover. If they have learned from that defeat then they’ll keep buzzing without hesitation, but that’s easier said than done.

In this match they were under basically no pressure, as it took until -5 plays 90 for Jesus to get up and running, and only then at a very slow pace. The game was over by the halfway stage, with Trinity 155 points clear, and though they didn’t ease up, Jesus start buzzing again, knowing that it doesn’t really matter if they get penalties anymore. Jesus pass fifty, smashing the ignominity that would have brought them, and Trinity pass 250, meaning that at the gong, the Cambridge side had been involved in the three highest scoring quarter final matches.

Final Score: Trinity, Cam 285 - 75 Jesus, Ox

WIth this match over, we now had the semi-final lineup confirmed:

Corpus Christi, Cam vs Durham

Imperial vs Trinity, Cam

Jesus’ defeat meant that this was the first year since 2007 that no Oxford college had made the last four. That year there were no Cambridge teams in the semis either, remarkably, as Warwick beat Manchester in the final.

#university challenge #trinity #cambridge #jesus #oxford #bbc2 #Jeremy Paxman

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sciencespies · 3 years

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Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

https://sciencespies.com/history/christmas-across-indian-country-during-the-pandemic-and-before/

Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

Smithsonian Voices National Museum of the American Indian

Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

December 22nd, 2020, 11:00AM / BY

Dennis Zotigh

“Hogan in the Snow,” ca. 1985. Painted by Robert Draper (Diné [Navajo], 1938–2000). Chinle, Navajo Nation, Arizona. 26/6481 (National Museum of the American Indian)

The introduction of Christianity to the original peoples of the Americas can be controversial in Native circles. Europeans brought Christianity to this half of the world and imposed it on Native communities, knowingly replacing existing spiritual beliefs with the beliefs taught in the bible. Cruelty and brutality often accompanied the indoctrination of Native peoples. Yet it is also true that some tribes, families, and individuals accepted the bible and Jesus’ teachings voluntarily.

Music played an important part in converting Native people, establishing their practice of worship, and teaching them how to celebrate the Christmas season. Perhaps the earliest North American Christmas carol was written in the Wyandot language of the Huron-Wendat people. Jesous Ahatonhia (“Jesus, He is born”)—popularly known as Noël huron or the Huron Carol—is said by oral tradition to have been written in 1643 by the Jesuit priest Jean de Brébeuf. The earliest known transcription was made in the Huron-Wendat settlement at Lorette, Quebec, in the 1700s.

During the 1920s, the Canadian choir director J. E. Middleton rewrote the carol in English, using images from the Eastern Woodlands to tell the Christmas story: A lodge of broken bark replaces the manger, the baby Jesus is wrapped in rabbit skin, hunters take the place of the shepherds, and chiefs bring gifts of fox and beaver furs. A much more accurate translation by the linguist John Steckley, an adopted member of the Huron-Wendat Nation of Loretteville, makes clear that the carol was written not only to teach early Catholic converts within the Huron Confederacy the story of Jesus’ birth, but also to explain its significance and to overturn earlier Native beliefs.

Here are the first verses of the carol in Wyandot and Steckley’s complete English translation:

Estenniayon de tsonwe Iesous ahatonnia onn’ awatewa nd’ oki n’ onyouandaskwaentak ennonchien eskwatrihotat n’onyouandiyonrachatha Iesous ahatonnia, ahatonnia. Iesous ahatonnia.

Ayoki onkiennhache eronhiayeronnon iontonk ontatiande ndio sen tsatonnharonnion Warie onn’ awakweton ndio sen tsatonnharonnion Iesous ahatonnia, ahatonnia. Iesous ahatonnia.

Have courage, you who are humans; Jesus, he is born Behold, the spirit who had us as prisoners has fled Do not listen to it, as it corrupts the spirits of our minds Jesus, he is born

They are spirits, sky people, coming with a message for us They are coming to say, Rejoice (Be on top of life) Marie, she has just given birth. Rejoice Jesus, he is born

Three have left for such, those who are elders Tichion, a star that has just appeared on the horizon leads them there He will seize the path, he who leads them there Jesus, he is born

As they arrived there, where he was born, Jesus the star was at the point of stopping, not far past it Having found someone for them, he says, Come here! Jesus, he is born

Behold, they have arrived there and have seen Jesus, They praised (made a name) many times, saying, Hurray, he is good in nature They greeted him with reverence (greased his scalp many times), saying, Hurray Jesus, he is born

We will give to him praise for his name, Let us show reverence for him as he comes to be compassionate to us. It is providential that you love us and wish, I should adopt them. Jesus, he is born.

All throughout Indian Country, Native people have gathered in churches, missions, and temples to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by singing carols and hymns in their Native languages. In some churches, the story of Jesus’ birth is recited in Native languages. Some Native churches host nativity plays using Native settings and actors to re-enact the birth of Jesus Christ. Among Catholics, Christmas Eve Mass traditionally begins in Indian communities at midnight and extends into the early hours of Christmas Day. In tipis, hogans, and houses, Native American Church members also hold Christmas services, ceremonies that begin on Christmas Eve and go on all night until Christmas morning.

In contemporary times, traditional powwow singing groups have rearranged Christmas songs to appeal to Native audiences. A humorous example is Warscout’s NDN 12 Days of Christmas, from their album Red Christmas. Native solo artists also perform Christmas classics in Native languages. Rhonda Head (Cree), for example, has recorded Oh Holy Night, and Jana Mashpee (Lumbee and Tuscarora) Winter Wonderland sung in Ojibwe.

Native communities host traditional tribal dances and powwows on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Among the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest special dances take place, such as buffalo, eagle, antelope, turtle, and harvest dances. The Eight Northern Pueblos perform Los Matachines—a special dance-drama mixing North African Moorish, Spanish, and Pueblo cultures—takes place on Christmas Eve, along with a pine-torch procession.

In an earlier year, Grandson Maheengun Atencio and Grandmother Edith Atencio prepared for the Matachines Christmas Eve dance at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico. Due to the pandemic, many ceremonial dances across Indian Country have been postponed, as Native people are very concerned for the safety of their elders. (Photo courtesy of Maheengun Atencio, used with permission)

For Native artisans, this is traditionally the busy season as they prepare special Christmas gift items. Artists and craftsmen and women across the country create beadwork, woodwork, jewelry, clothing, basketry, pottery, sculpture, paintings, leatherwork, and feather work for special Christmas sales and art markets that are open to the public. For the 15 years before 2020, the National Museum of the American Indian held its annual Native Art Market in New York and Washington a few weeks before Christmas.

In many communities and homes, Christian customs are interwoven with Native culture as a means of expressing Christmas in a uniquely Native way. The importance of giving is a cultural tradition among most tribes. Even in times of famine and destitution, Native people have made sure their families, the old, and orphans were taken care of. This mindset prevails into the present. Gift-giving is appropriate whenever a tribal social or ceremonial gathering takes place.

In the same way, traditional Native foods are prepared for this special occasion. Salmon, walleye, shellfish, moose, venison, elk, mutton, geese, rabbit, wild rice, collards, squash, pine nuts, red and green chile stews, pueblo bread, piki bread, and bannock (fry bread) are just a few of the things that come to mind. Individual tribes and Indian organizations sponsor Christmas dinners for their elders and communities prior to Christmas. Tribal service groups and warrior societies visit retirement homes and shelters to provide meals for their tribesmen and women on Christmas Day.

According to the Urban Indian Health Commission, nearly seven out of every ten American Indians and Alaska Natives—2.8 million people—live in or near cities, and that number is growing. During the Christmas holidays, many urban Natives travel back to their families, reservations, and communities to reconnect and reaffirm tribal bonds. They open presents and have big family meals like other American Christians.

For the last few years, Native friends have shared their families’ Christmas plans and traditions with the museum. This extraordinary year, we asked how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting their families and communities. Those replies are given first here, then the answers we received in 2019 and 2018. Thank you to everyone who took time to tell us a little about their lives.

I live in Upstate New York. Most of my adult life I hardly had Christmas with my family, because I was deployed, stationed overseas, or too far from home. It’s nothing new to be with just my immediate family. So, for anyone who says they can’t have Christmas with family, please consider the men and women in uniform who can’t this year and ones before who weren’t able to.

Topeka, Kansas: I’m a middle school history teacher, and we are in remote education. Our Covid numbers are some of the highest in the country. No churches are open, so no services. Most stores close early, and there is a restaurant and bar curfew. No congregating of any sort is allowed, and we have not only mask mandates, but other rules that have curtailed any events.

The saddest thing I saw today was that our Prairie Band Potawatomi neighbors just a few miles north of us can’t sell enough of their meat, so they are advertising selling it at the Rez gas station in bulk. They’re hoping to break even, but likely will take a loss. Covid is taking a toll everywhere, but here in Indian Country it’s so real. Many of my students, including my tribal students, are facing a very difficult Christmas. Our school has adopted a family whose parents asked only for a kitchen trash can, storage container, and cleaning supplies for gifts. It truly is a hard Christmas.

Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico: We will be fasting for the winter solstice as usual here in Zuni. No change for us, the whole village will be in seclusion and praying for 10 days. So no big change from the lockdowns. Stores and business are usually closed during that time.

Elgin, Oklahoma: My husband is in the hospital with Covid, pneumonia, and blood clots in his lungs. I am trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive for our kids. We cannot go to the hospital to see him, and that is driving me nuts.

I usually host a family Christmas cookie exchange party each year. It’s a time our relatives come together, despite our busy lives, to spend a day of fun, laughter, and love during Christmas, and it was canceled this year due to the pandemic. I cannot spend Christmas with my sisters or dad because of the pandemic. I just have to drop their gifts off at the porch. We cannot get together on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to exchange gifts and partake in the Christmas holiday.

When I get on social media, I see so many people asking for prayers because someone they love has tested positive for Covid, or their loved one is in the hospital because of Covid, like my husband, or they lost a loved one due to Covid. I just pray for everyone.

Garden Grove, California: With California in another lockdown, we will be stuck in our homes for Christmas. We will only be able to call our relatives this year and wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Unfortunately most gifts have to be mailed out and not hand delivered, so we can’t really see the excitement our gifts give to others. I’m hoping next Christmas will be way better for all of us.

Cherokee, living in Spain: I do not celebrate Christian ways but respect the ones who do. My kids, grands, and I had covid-19 by early March, without much trouble, so we hugged all year through. Sending much love and many prayers to each and all back home.

Duluth, Minnesota: No impact. We’re still making homemade gifts and will gather like we do every other day. We have a social contract.

In Manitoba, Canada, we are under a Red Zone, which means a lot of restrictions when it comes to gatherings. People from this province have traveled to Kenora, Ontario, and Yorkton/Regina, Saskatchewan, to shop for the holidays. Toys R Us is the go-to place, but some orders are not filled, and you’re given a rain check. Places such as Walmart stopped selling anything outside of essentials.

As for my home, my child is not traveling this year to spend the holidays with his dad’s side of the family. Flying is out of the question, and driving would be hazardous, not to mention each province has its own high numbers. We can’t even go home to our reserve due to limited access to the communities. Outside of our own home, we have declined dinner invitations due to social distancing and have made alternate plans to stay home and have a hot meal.

No matter what, I am with my child, and that is all that matters to me. I don’t really care for the commercialization of Christmas. I think it’s best to have money in case of an emergency. We had a major storm that took down power lines last year. Who knows what this year will bring?

All in all, I wish everyone a safe holiday. Prayers to those who lost loved ones or have loved ones whose lives have been impacted by Covid. My gift is spending the holidays with my li’l sidekick and creating our own memories. Be safe!

On the eastern coastal lands here in North Carolina, no friends are sharing the rides to the winery for the Christmas decorations and lights. Celebrations have been thrown out the window, and, as restaurant gatherings are gone, so is the laughter and good cheer with friends while sharing a memory of the past year. Hibernation is occurring as no doorways are opening. Shopping and wrapping gifts are gone, even the homemade ones—the pandemic has closed employment. Less making cookies and cakes–the oven surely won’t be used for just li’l ole me.

And it’s okay. Life is going to turn around. What Christmas will bring is to celebrate with more phone calls, including a face-to-face; chatting on social media; wishing all the best of the holidays; dreaming of a new world in 2021. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gloucestershire in the UK: All Christmas and solstice plans involving travel are canceled as the virus is still spreading. The government was allowing travel for Christmas period, but we don’t trust what they say. If people travel, it will be out of control again.

New Hampshire: Typically I take baked goods and homemade Christmas presents to friends. I will often spend time with them catching up. I also send out 50 or so Christmas cards. None of that this year. I will see my children and granddaughter though, as we live in the same town and have been seeing each other since the beginning. I am sad I can’t spread my usual greetings this year when we all so need it.

Fort Hall, Idaho: We generally have a Christmas Eve gathering with family. Not this year.

Del Muerto, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation: The 76th year of family hosting a community Christmas has been canceled. Treats, toys, and winter jackets will not be provided, but it’s all for safety precaution.

South Dakota: I have not done Christmas or any holidays for over 24 years as part of my de-colonization. We are so brainwashed from childhood. The real tests are triggers like certain songs. It’s a hard journey to undertake. It’s another level of healing the traumas of Christianity and family beliefs, however, and I made it.

Louisville, Kentucky: Well, as Christmas comes around, I always look forward to going to my last living grandmother’s. Like 90 years old. Normally we would go to see her and the whole family—all the cousins and, yes, even aunties. Ayeee. Lol. We would all eat and open presents and chat. But this year presents are being sent in the mail. We may have a family computer time face to face. It isn’t the same as giving my grandmother a hug and her seeing all her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. It saddens my heart. She is at an age, and we never know when it’s time to be called home. So I know these times are important. The pandemic as made a saddened Christmas time.

Manitoba, Canada: First time ever not all congregating at Mom’s house. We are having our smaller dinners in our homes. However, this Santa will be delivering gifts Christmas Eve.

Living in Southern California has made celebrating or doing anything for the holidays nearly impossible. We are on total lockdown. Even going out to buy decorations has not happened for me. Many family members have been unemployed for five or six months, so we are all financially unable to help each other. And because of the lockdown, we can’t even get together in person to support each other. We are blessed, however, to all be healthy.

Cloquet, Minnesota: We are not having a family get together. First time ever in my life.

Edmonton, Alberta: No travel to family in the north and south. My 75-year-old mom is depressed. My grandbaby will not see his dad’s side, which affects bonding. Normally we have a big Christmas meal and share with others. Not this year, though.

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin: No visiting from friends and relatives on Christmas Eve, and the big Christmas dinner feast is just for immediate family. Once again, I can’t show off my baby grandson, who still hasn’t met some of his relatives.

Tualatin, Oregon: We are already isolated and have been practicing social distancing and wearing our masks because it is mandated, so we plan to have our Christmas as usual. Our children and grandkids will be with us to celebrate. We are a very small family and living here all these 30-plus years, it’s no different than before. It’s always been just us. We’ve grown from a family of five to ten. God has blessed us so. Aho Dawkee—thank you, God!

Holiday ornaments created by schoolchildren for the Capitol Christmas Tree Campaign to decorate a holiday tree at the museum on the National Mall. From left to right: Three ornaments made by unnamed Pikumi (Blackfeet Nation) students, 2008. Blackfeet Reservation, Montana. 26/7446, 26/7451 and 26/7454. An ornament representing a rattle made by Shelbey (family name not recorded, Yavapai), 2009. Prescott, Arizona. 26/7716. A snowman ornament made by Ayanna (family name not recorded, Tohono O’odham), 2009. Arizona. 26/7717 (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

White Swan, Washington, sent on the winter solstice: “This is NDN New Year (the shortest day of year), but it’s close to Christmas so we still have gift exchanges. Santa shows up at our longhouse; he also has 2 with him, our version of Krampus. I’m not sure how far back this goes. Maybe it’s Bigfoot and is s’posed to scare the kids into being good. My dad used to dress that way and come in with Santa. I don’t know who does it now. Some of my family thought it was me, but I think it’s two of my cousins.”

Miami, Oklahoma: “Seneca–Cayuga social dances with horned rattles and supper at my sister’s house. Oh, can’t forget our coins for playing some Indian dice and playing Cards against Humanity! Lol. Lots of fun and laughter.”

Albuquerque, New Mexico: “Spending Christmas Eve in the village of Taos Pueblo, building and then watching the bonfires burn, and watching the procession of the Virgin Mary.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota: “Honoring our relatives with a memorial horse ride called the Dakota 38 + 2. On December 26, 1862, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in Dakota County, 38 Dakota men were hung all at once. It is recorded as the largest mass execution in U S. history. This is how most of us here in Mni Sota celebrate this time of the year.”

Southern Manitoba, Canada: “Last year we as a family spent the day together and went to a movie theater all day. On the 26th, we made a meal and set out a spirit dish for the Dakota 38 + 2.”

Nevada City, California: “I’m a Choctaw Jew, so I celebrate by having a gift-card drive, and going to temple and Christmas church! My grandfather is in a home, so I spend time with him and whoever else is close.”

Kents Store, Virginia: “We don’t do Christmas, but we have a solstice celebration and teach Abenaki farming at a local school. It’s part of their winter festival including other people and faiths into their curriculum.”

Phoenix, Arizona: “I will go to my reservation, Eastern Band if Cherokee in North Carolina, and exchange gifts with my family. My dad is 84 years of age, so I always make it a priority to go back there. Everyone will come to Daddy’s house to eat turkey and ham. And whatever else my sister cooks.”

Disautel, Washington: “Leading up to Christmas we take grandson out to chop down a tree. Let him help pick it out. Hunt for a deer. Then a family dinner at home. Kids come to visit to get their presents. Tree’s lit up. Decorations. Candy and snacks.”

Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico: “Spending time at the Pueblo plaza house, watching the winter dances, being with all the family, sharing wonderfully prepared food by the women in the family. There is always laughter, kids running around, and friends dropping by. The usual! Lol.”

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: “We’ll spend Christmas with family, sharing a meal and putting out a feast plate for our loved ones who passed away.”

Montross, Virginia: “My family recognizes our elders community members and recalls those who, though gone, have impacted our lives in a good way.”

Edmondton, Alberta, Canada: “Now that I’m a grandma, I spend it with my grandbaby. Usually my daughter, mom, and nephew, too. If I can, we cook (a lot) and eat together. In the past, we have shared with police officers or corrections staff where I used to work. If there is a round dance close, I go there.”

Portland, Oregon: “Donate time at the local veterans shelter.”

Warm Springs, Oregon: “I usually stay home with my granddaughters. We spend the day with each other and enjoy a nice hot fire with delicious foods. We understand that this is not our holiday, but we have adapted it to suit us.”

Apache, Oklahoma: “Christmas Eve: Attending Petarsy Indian Mission in good ol’ Richards Spur, Oklahoma. We get greetings from the Indi’n Santa who brings all the good lil Indi’n boys & girls presents. We sing Comanche hymns, and everyone receives a brown bag of fruit, hard Christmas candies, and nuts. Then we go home to eat Uthivah (Mexican) food and play monopoly till some gets mad. In the morning the kids must sing a Christmas carol before they are allowed to open presents, and we only hope no one sings the Twelve Days of Christmas! The day will be followed by a Christmas dinner.”

Santa Fe, New Mexico: “Since we aren’t Christians, my mama called it Big Winter Give-Away Day. She always put up an NDN tree full of Native ornaments made by her friends—tiny beaded moccasins, little pottery angels, wee cradleboards, miniature painted rawhides, and a very special felt beaded turtle that her mother made. Our angel was always one of us girls‘ little Indian dollies.

“Now that Mom‘s footprints have joined the others in the Milky Way, I put her tree up. She taught us to be generous, ‛to give until it hurt.’ It is this lesson that I pass to my sons, not only for one day, but as a way of being in this world.”

Winter Haven, California: “With my little family. We don’t do gifts just have a feast and spend quality time.”

Hood River, Oregon: “We spend Christmas centered on our Creator, whose name is Jesus Christ, who brought our people to this great promised land. As an Elder, I gather and teach my children my life’s lessons and the reality of resurrection and life after this mortal life because of this Jesus Christ. I cry out of gratitude for his tender mercies. I smile because I see the light of this knowledge in my children’s eyes.”

“After we put the star on the tree, open our simple gifts for one another, eat and laugh with one another, we kneel and pray as my father and grandfather did, carrying on our tradition of gratitude, the tradition of knowing of a greater power. My children have learned that Christmas is not the only day for prayer and sincere repentance. We follow after our Creator, Jesus Christ, with all our imperfections, and because of him we can be forgiven. How holy is His name! We prepare to meet Him, for He will come again, soon.”

Hąwe Wakąndeyinge Tųnye Girorisge! (Merry Christmas!) This Native nativity scene took place at the Otoe–Missouria Tribal Complex near Red Rock, Oklahoma, as part of their Light up the Encampment Grounds event. The animal figures represent the seven clans of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Instead of a manger, a cradleboard holds the newborn Jesus. (Used with permission, courtesy of Johnnie Dee Childs)

Tama, Iowa: “As a special day of feasting, we first set aside prayer and food offerings in the sacred fire for relatives before our own indulgence. The respect is that you allow your remembrances—those who have passed—to eat first. Oftentimes with the greater ghost feasts you are also sending prayers for good health, long life—for yourself as well as for your family, plus any others. It is promised that your requests will be granted.”

Southern Maryland: “Our Elders Council (Choptico) have our winter gathering and feast close to or on the day of winter solstice. This year’s menu: Seafood and root veggies. We still have a traditional Christmas dinner for the extended family. Historically Maryland Natives were proselytized by Jesuits and many, if not most, tribal members remain Catholic today.”

Barona, California: “This year I’m doing tamales, meat pies, and empanadas! Someone else made tamales and I’m making the rest.”

Carnegie, Oklahoma: “I remember when we would camp at Red Church or White Church Christmas week. There would be snow on the ground. We slept in the tent with our Ah-Pea (grandmother), and people would get up and cook in the dining hall all three meals. All those paper sacks would be lined up in the church and filled with fruit and Christmas candy. Everyone got a treat sack and missionary gift. Church ran late; sometimes we’d sleep on the floor.

“I wouldn’t trade anything for those days. Singing and praying in Kiowa. Some beautiful memories. They have all gone on now. Thank you for letting me share.”

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: “On Christmas eve my grandkids have a sleepover with their cousins and we have singing and dance contests (the best steps win a prize) with the kids to encourage them all to sing and dance. Food-eating contests, too (who can eat the most fry bread). We wind up having a little powwow in the house. It tires them all out, too. Breakfast is a big pot of sofkee (seasoned grits). I cook fry bread, three sisters [corn, beans, and squash], salmon, turkey, ham, corn-on-the-cob, cornbread, bread pudding, sweet potato pies, wild rice, string beans, other vegetables. All fresh, nothing from a can. My mother this year started a new tradition: She wants us to write down on a paper and bring it to Christmas dinner to speak on what we are all thankful for and how our year went. My mom also leads us in the traditional holiday songs everyone knows.”

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin: Christmas was introduced to certain families back in the late 1920s, early 1930s by my grandfather (choka) George Lonetree and his cousin, Sister Kate Massey, who was a priest. They both were in boarding school in Toledo, Iowa, when they first knew about Christmas and the art of giving presents to people. So my choka decided to gather families who were curious about Christmas. These Christmas gatherings happen near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. We always have some Native food on the table. My mother always made sure of that. It could be Indian corn soup, fry bread, cranberries, duck, rabbit, and sometimes wintergreen tea. Right around Christmastime, the Eagle Clan of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin will have their Winter Clan feast. The winter solstice, yeah, like the first day of winter.”

Parker, Arizona: “Sheep ribs cooked over the coals, tortillas, vegetable and mutton stew. Roasted Hatch chili salsa, yeast bread, coffee, and maybe empanadas.”

British Columbia, Canada: “We try to include Native-inspired dishes—salmon, berries, roots, deer meat. I only cook turkey for the kids. But if I cook a turducken (turkey, duck, and quail) it seems more inspiring lol.”

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico: “At Ohkay Owingeh the Turtle Dance is the driving event. Everything else is second or worked around the dance.”

Crystal Falls, Michigan: “Gotta have some wild rice and venison is we what have. It is always good, and turkeys are native to here, though I’m not a wild turkey fan lol.”

Tappahannock, Virginia: “Dinner is mostly the regular holiday foods except we have to have potato salad and corn pudding. Our Christmas breakfast is oyster stew and watercress if we can gather enough.”

Chicago, Illinois: “Ten years ago we would cook up ham and turkey with all the side dishes. For years the American Indian Center had a Thanksgiving dinner and a Christmas party. We would decorate the tribal hall. I would hear people talking about how traditional they were and still celebrating these holidays and not caring about their cultural teaching. So I decided to change it. I just reworded it to a “giving thanks feast” and encouraged everyone to write what they were truly thankful for. We had a “winter feast.” No decorations, and we shared the teachings of how we celebrate the seasons and why each is important to us. I had many positive comments, and it seemed like they were listening and questioning the religious beliefs. It wasn’t about shopping and presents. Unfortunately they have not been doing any of these events since I left. Everyone wants their urban rez back.”

Ardmore, Oklahoma: “Our church plays have Christmas hymns in Choctaw language, and we always get that brown paper bag filled with fruit, ribbon candy, and orange slice candy. Our church is the Ardmore Indian Baptist Church, in the Chi-Ka-Sha Baptist Association.”

Maui, Hawai’i: “We cook pigs underground here on the Islands. It’s called imu. This year we are going to do it for the homeless. We pretty much go around and see if everyone is fed.”

Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/San Juan Pueblo/Santee Dakota Indian) is a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan and San Juan Pueblo Winter Clan and a descendant of Sitting Bear and No Retreat, both principal war chiefs of the Kiowas. Dennis works as a writer and cultural specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

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Giuseppe Giordan & Adam Possamai, Mastering the devil: A sociological analysis of the practice of a Catholic exorcist, 66 Curr Sociol 74 (2017)

Abstract

This study takes the documented growth in the ministry of exorcism within the Catholic Church as a significant challenge to some accounts of secularization. After clarifying how, according to Catholic doctrine, the devil can operate in people’s lives, this study offers a sociological interpretation of exorcism. This interpretation is illustrated and tested by a sociological analysis of data collected, over a period of 10 years, by a well-established Catholic priest in Italy who himself was well trained and well grounded in philosophical analysis. This sociological case study offers fresh insights into the contemporary social significance of exorcism and provides challenges for future research. In the analysis of the data, it was discovered that only 5% of the initial consultations lead to a ritual of exorcism and that a rapprochement with rituals of deliverance is found for the large majority of the cases.

Introduction

Satan, Lucifer, Baal, Moloch, Leviathan, Belfagor, Chernobog, Mammon, Vitra, Azazel, Loki, Iblis, Mara and Angra Mainyu are only a few of the names that followers of various religions and holders of differing religious beliefs have given to the devil historically, and that appear in their sacred texts (Van der Toorn et al., 1999). To protect themselves from the devil, people have used the most varied practices. Although the ritual of exorcism is a practice found in many religions, social scientists have, so far, given little attention to this ritual in the contemporary western world (some exceptions being Amiotte-Suchet, 2016; Cuneo, 2001; De Certeau, 2005; Goodman, 1988, 2005; Hunt, 1998; Huxley, 1971; Lewis, 1971, 2009; Talamonti, 2005, 2008). Sociologists of religion, considering the figure of the demon to be a legacy of the superstitious and obscurantist past, have probably forgotten this issue, believing it to be outdated.

Actually, in recent years, interest in the occult world and in the rituals that release individuals from demonic possession has increased, becoming more and more widespread among broad segments of the population (Baker, 2008; Giordan and Possamai, 2016; McCloud, 2015) and thus justifying a renewed interest on the part of certain religious institutions. For example, in the US, Gallup polls have shown that the percentage of the population that believes in the devil increased from 55% in 1990 to 70% in 2004. Close to 59% of the sample of 1200 people surveyed in the 1998 Southern Focus Poll answered in the affirmative to the question: ‘Do you believe that people on this Earth are sometimes possessed by the Devil?’ (Rice, 2003). In the second wave of the Baylor Religion Survey (2007), 53.3% of people surveyed answered in the affirmative, or strongly in the affirmative, the question: ‘Is it possible to be possessed?’ At the same time, in Italy, according to the Association of Catholic Psychiatrists and Psychologists, half a million people per year undergo a ritual of exorcism (Baglio, 2009: 7).

In the Catholic ambit, belief in the devil, like many other traditional religious beliefs, has been rationalized during the last decades to the point where it has nearly disappeared from the scope of theological deliberation. At the same time, however, in people’s everyday lives, this belief has spread considerably, so as to force religious authorities to restore the profession of exorcism that had virtually disappeared. In this context, the figure of the exorcist has undergone a true professionalization process, through the foundation of an international organization of exorcists and the provision of training courses (Giordan and Possamai, 2016).

The aim of this article is to offer a sociological account of this phenomenon in the western world in late modernity. This article focuses specifically on exorcism, as defined and practised within Catholicism, and not on broader cases of witchcraft or possession (e.g. Cohen, 2007; Favret-Saada, 1991; Hirst, 1982). After clarifying what we mean by the ‘devil’ and after noting how, according to Catholic doctrine, the devil can operate in people’s lives, we give a sociological analysis of data collected, during a period of nearly 10 years, by a well-established Catholic priest in Italy. This sociological case study is the very first undertaken of the practice of an exorcist, who over the 10-year period has kept note of his activities in a Word document of more than 200,000 words. Its analysis provides a grounding to expand our sociological understanding of this phenomenon. It discovers an increase of a ministry of deliverance by this Catholic priest, and to explore the reason behind this, a discussion in light of other current Christian practices is presented. In other research, Amiotte-Suchet (2016) makes reference to the journal of an exorcist he had been in contact with but did not explore this at length. Further comparison with this research is presented at the end of this article.

For this article, rather than the theological definition of exorcism, we follow the social definition used by Sluhovsky (2007: 35–36), that ‘exorcism is defined as a curing technique against evil spirits that have taken over a possessed person, an animal, or an object’. This definition is in line with the work of sociologists of religion, who tend to use a methodological agnostic approach when conducting research. This means, for example, that we do not analyse the veracity of these claims of possession from a theological perspective. We are studying what people do with or against this belief, and how this belief affects people.

More specifically, our research method follows what Garret (1974) has called a phenomenological noumenalist approach. The approach followed within this research admits subjective reality as an independent variable in social analysis and focuses its research on the consequences of belief and behaviour generated by religious experiences. This school has its roots in the work of Rudolf Otto (1936), who focused his research on the non-rational aspect of the religious dimension. Being both theologian and scientist, his purpose was to embrace the scientific paradigm and the religious interpretation of the world. He sought to determine the kind of rationality that is relevant to religious study and found in Kant the pertinent pair of noumenon and phenomenon. The phenomenological noumenalist school accepts the noumenal as irreducible experience and as producing effects at the individual and social levels. It is also worth noting from the work of the anthropologist Goodman (1988: 107) that demonic possession is not just about scary stories but can sometimes involve some actual and disastrous physical and psychological changes.

The fluidity of the belief in the devil: The Catholic tradition

The reappearance within the religious field (e.g. Amorth, 1999) of the practice of exorcism forces the religious authorities themselves to broker a careful and delicate balance between not considering it simply a superstitious belief of the past and not overemphasizing the effectiveness of the action of the devil in people’s lives; considering the devil as the god of evil would be a heresy, but denying the devil’s existence would seem to go against the traditional doctrine. A rationalization process therefore begins, with the theologians trying to negotiate between the dictates of the most advanced theological research, which is more and more reluctant to attribute a prominent role to the devil, and the so-called ‘popular religiosity’ (Balducci, 1991), which records the daily workings of Satan. This is a negotiation process involving not only the theological domain (Caspani, 2008), but also the medical domain, since the boundaries between psychic disease and demonic action are not at all clear; they are very unstable and porous, and often the two aspects overlap and become confused (Caretta and Petrini, 1999; Sodi, 2003). The relationship between health and salvation is an issue very well known to sociologists of religion, but it takes on an even more challenging relevance in the context of the rite of exorcism.

In the process of the social construction of the notion of the devil, and in defining the margins of credibility of his actions, as well as in defining the practice of exorcism, the role played by religious authorities is obviously strategic: within Catholicism such a process (which has lasted for centuries) shows how the outlines of these concepts are fluid and flexible, capable of adapting to the needs of different historic periods (Cini Tassinaro, 1984).

It is interesting to note that the existence of the devil has never been explicitly defined in the official documents of the Church – as though such a belief was taken for granted and it was unnecessary to define dogmatically the harmful effects of devilish action. The absence of a precise doctrinal definition concerning the existence of the devil has then left it open to the people themselves to question the devil’s existence, and, consequently, to believe or not to believe. This omission has left believers free also to build their own imagery surrounding the devil, thus filling in the ‘institutional’ void.

Which features, then, are attributed to the devil in the Catholic tradition, either popular or institutional? According to the Catholic doctrine the devil is a being created by God – the first of the angels, who, however, refuted dependency on God and, jealously, wanted to take the place of God (Pagels, 1995). To believers in the devil’s existence, this figure is essential to the history of salvation, because the whole mission of Jesus Christ would be incomprehensible if the very existence of Satan were denied. In the Gospels, in fact, several episodes are narrated in which Jesus casts out demons from people possessed by the devil, who shows up at different times in the forms of demonic obsession, of madness or hysteria, and at times as a physical illness. Jesus himself, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 4, verse 10), was tempted by the devil while he was in the Judean desert, and responded to his offers, warning him, ‘ “Go away, Satan!” For it is written: “The Lord your God you will worship, Him alone you will worship”. And then the devil left Him.’ In this case Satan tempts man with power, with the desire to become as God, as the serpent did in the Garden of Eden (Burani, 2009; Laurentin, 1995).

In spite of such scriptural authority, the existence of the devil and the influence of the devil in people’s daily lives has been called into question in recent decades by the theologians themselves, who, even if they do not actually affirm his non-existence, prefer to speak about him in terms of popular religiosity, suggesting that a belief in such a phenomenon is often included in magic and superstitious thinking that sooner or later will be outdated.

Significantly, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in a secularized context of general disenchantment with religion, Pope Paul VI felt the need to warn the faithful and society at large about the diminishing belief in the devil. In a Church that was being confronted by the modern era, through the implementation of the Council Vatican II, Paul VI felt it necessary to reiterate the least modern aspect of religious belief, the presence of the devil. In a speech delivered in 1972, addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square, the Pope compared the devil’s activity in people’s lives to that of a ‘hidden enemy who spreads errors and misfortunes in human history’. Adding (quoting St Paul) that men are fighting ‘against the rulers of the cosmic dark world, against the evil spirits wandering in space’ (Paul VI, 1972: 145).

While affirming his existence, the actions of the Catholic Church have always been careful not to overemphasize the power of the devil, in order to avoid giving space and legitimacy to the many Satanic sects who worship Satan as if he were a god (Cantelmi and Cacace, 2007; Introvigne, 1994, 2010): he is not the ‘god of evil’, the counterpart of the ‘god of good’, but rather a creature of God, that therefore cannot be worshipped as a god. For example, in 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council declared that only God is the true origin of all things, and that the devil is only a divine creature who has become evil (Lavatori, 2007).

Case study

In 2015, while conducting an interview with an exorcist, we were informed that this Catholic priest had been performing activities associated with exorcism for close to 10 years. When the time came to retire after 40 years of teaching philosophy he had been requested by his bishop to become the exorcist of his diocese, one of the most important and populated dioceses in Italy. His case is of particular interest because his rational approach led him to look with some suspicion and disenchantment at many phenomena associated with Satanism and possession, and subsequently to practise his role as exorcist with an attitude that we could define as more ‘scientific’ than ‘fideistic’ (see below). He showed us a Word document in which he kept information on everyone who made contact with him, what his assessments were, and the outcomes of their visits. His detailed document dealt not only with a theological assessment but with some socio-demographic data as well. The document was not created to be analysed sociologically, but, nevertheless, it did provide some significant insights in this practice. This is the first time that such a large amount of data on this phenomenon has been obtained in the field of sociology and religious studies. The research in this field usually involves theological analysis and court case analysis (in cases where the exorcism has gone wrong) but never the exorcist’s own data file. The large file is close to 200,000 words in length. We asked for all names to be removed. The data were then coded and analysed quantitatively. This exorcist tends to receive people on a Saturday morning in a room adjacent to a church. If he thinks that the case warrants an exorcism, he will then schedule them usually on a Wednesday or Friday. The ritual is performed in the same room. He uses a heavy metal chair, one that needs two people to carry or one person to drag it, which is placed in the middle of the room. For the ritual, he uses the Latin version rather than the vernacular one as he claims that the former version is harsher (and more vulgar) towards to demon. The translation is too tame for his taste. The ritual tends to last for just under an hour and he gets the help of other people, usually five or six per session. We were able to witness these rituals. These helpers join the priest in some liturgies and mainly help to hold the ‘possessed’ down in case he or she starts to convulse in the chair. They will apply their hands to steady the person in the chair.

In his position as exorcist, our interviewee provided consultations in 1075 different cases. These cases involved both people who came on their own for consultation concerning their own problems or on behalf of others (n = 802; 74.6% of cases), and people accompanied by one person or more (n = 272; 25.4% of cases). These consultations do not include other possible sessions conducted, such as visits by the exorcist to the home of the clients for blessings, or communication over the phone or by email, or the various rituals performed. These are thus meetings/consultations with clients to hear their problems, to discuss possible steps to take and to provide recommendations.

Of the total number of clients, 648 (60%) came for only one visit, 215 (20%) came twice, 97 (9%) came three times, and the remaining 11% came more than three times. As shown in Table 1, one person had 26 consultations.

Table 1. Number of consultations.

From these 1075 cases, only 55 rituals of exorcism were performed, that is, in only 5.1% of the cases recorded. Focusing on these 55 cases of exorcized people, we can see that they are mostly men (60% of cases). Two patients are less than 20 years old; 5 patients are young people aged from 20 to 29 years and as many are adults/seniors (60 and older); 56% are aged between 40 and 49 years; 12% are 30–39 years old; and 11% are between 50 and 59 years old.

The exorcized people mostly belong to the working class and lower middle class; there are only six cases of professionals/graduates (Giordan and Possamai, 2016). While for 14 cases a single ritual was sufficient, others required more – in the most extreme case the ritual was conducted 354 times (see Table 2). This reflects the argument made by Amorth (1992), that only a few cases have to be treated through a ritual of exorcism. Indeed, Muchembled (2000) quotes Amorth, who claimed to have dealt with 50,000 cases, of which only 84 were, according to his assessment, authentic.

Table 2. Exorcism rituals performed.

Actually liberation does not always occur. In 40% of the 55 cases of exorcism (22 people) the patient appears to have recovered, freed from possession, and does not need any more exorcisms, even if this does not necessarily mean that the disease, depression, misfortune or the need for psychiatric drugs is over, and it is possible to have relapses. Meanwhile, 25% (14 people) of the cases continue to be subjected to exorcisms, either because liberation has not occurred or because of a relapse. In 22% of cases (12 people) the patient leaves never to be seen again by the exorcist or, in most situations, it is the exorcist himself who withdraws from the case, considering his own efforts useless either because of the family context or because he does not find in the patient the true will to set him or herself free, or because he finds the patient’s situation too ambiguous and intricate. For the remaining cases it is not possible to determine from the document what the outcome of the exorcism is.

Analysing in depth the notes that the exorcist writes on the four patients who have received over the last 10 years the highest number of rituals of exorcism (A: a 50 year old male, 108 exorcisms; B: a 48 year old male, 112 exorcisms; C: a woman of 51 years, 144 exorcisms; D: a 41 year old male, 354 exorcisms), we note that there are some shared characteristics among these people.

A first common element among these cases is, in the words written by the exorcist, that they have had ‘suspicious experiences’: these can be séances, or having taken part in other esoteric rituals following the instructions of ‘do it yourself’ books ; among these ‘suspicious experiences’ the exorcist also includes a visit to magicians, clairvoyants, fortune tellers, the practice of yoga or oriental meditation sessions.

Another common element is the ‘abhorrence of the sacred’: all these people, when they pray or come into contact with the holy water, feel sick, vomit or faint. As noted by the exorcist, moreover, all four clients are also being treated by a psychiatrist, and in the notebook that we have analysed, the drugs and dosages that the patients take are described in precise detail: they are almost always anxiolytics and antidepressants.

None of these four cases has been resolved, and they all continue to receive the rituals of exorcism.

The reason that leads A to consult an exorcist is that he believes himself to be the victim of a curse, and this is ruining both his work (he has a firm that is now in crisis) and his health (severe headaches and skin problems). Three years before beginning to attend the exorcist, A claims to have converted through participation in a pilgrimage to Medjugorje; the strange thing is that it is only since that pilgrimage that the problems seem to have started. The exorcist is in possession of some videos recorded by surveillance cameras at the patient’s factory, where a very bright light floods the building at night. For this reason, the exorcist, in addition to exorcizing A, made a ritual of exorcism even at his home and at the workplace.

B, employed at a bank, is sent to our exorcist by another exorcist from a neighbouring diocese, who has tended B for years but was not able to solve the case. As written by our exorcist, B ‘is not a simple patient: it is a confused case, he lives his entire life with an attitude of ambivalence and it is difficult to understand what is due to the devil and what is due to depression. Many disorders that he experiences may be down to the withdrawal symptoms from drugs.’

C, woman and lawyer, consults the exorcist for the first time at the age of 42 because she suspects she is the victim of evil inflicted by a sister-in-law who participates in an esoteric sect. During a rite of exorcism, she says she has been a member of a secret society in the past. As noted by the exorcist, after a ritual of exorcism, C ‘is hit by a very high fever and vomits animal skin with hair, sticks, bones, dust’. The next day, during mass, she cannot open her mouth to receive the Eucharist.

The most complex case is D, a 41 year old man who in almost 10 years has been exorcized 354 times, and in one of the last rituals, according to what is written in the notebook, claims to ‘have exceeded the limits of endurance’. The physical ailments that have afflicted him since he was 18 years old, a result both of a car accident as well as, as he himself says, some séances in which he had participated for fun, do not allow him to hold down a steady job. Among the ‘suspicious experiences’ that the exorcist lists, in addition to attending pranotherapists, there is the practice of yoga; the latter is considered so dangerous by the exorcist that, at the end of one of the rituals, he gives D a booklet titled Beware of Yoga. During the rites of exorcism, D alternates between moments of aggression towards the exorcist, and moments of ‘mystical experience’ in which he feels ‘a sense of love and openness to others, the ability to read minds, and he sees a child hovered over by a black bat with white eyes’. D recognizes himself in this child.

During the interview, the exorcist stated that he refused to perform the ritual of exorcism without being certain that the possession was genuine. He told us about practices in which other Catholic exorcists would perform the ritual without being certain that the people involved were actually possessed. He even described a scene in which some rituals were performed in public in a small town centre, accompanied by an orchestra and singing. While it is not the point here to analyse the different professional practices of exorcism, we can claim in this article that the information provided by this particular exorcist reflects a more legal-rational form of authority and practice, rather than charismatic. We are making reference here to Weber’s (1996) classic ideal types of authority, and, of course, both the legal-rational and charismatic types include traditional authority. We are thus claiming that the exorcist presented in this case study is more in line with an institutional interpretation of his religion than a popular one. The data collected from another type of exorcist could have provided a different type of insight.

Table 3 lists all the many problems that the clients made reference to. Evil influences, occultism and Satanism, and paranormal phenomena were given as the reason for the visit in 604 cases; that is, 56% of all the cases were religious or magical in nature. The rest of the consultations tended to be for family, health or other personal problems.

Table 3. Reason for the visit.

The analysis of these data shows that for this particular exorcist, a large number of people would attend a consultation but only a small proportion of consultations would lead to a ‘classical’ ritual of exorcism. Thus, although belief in the devil is on the increase and the number of professionals in the field of exorcism is growing (Giordan and Possamai, 2016), this does not mean that Catholic exorcism rituals are being conducted on a large scale.

In 140 cases (13%) (see Table 4), the exorcist recommended that the client seek a psychologist, and in 5 cases (0.5%) some sort of medical service. In the rest of the cases, the exorcist recommended the practice of other rituals, such as blessings (n = 206; 19.2% of cases), confession (n = 16; 1.5%), some religious homework (n = 500; 46.5%), prayer (n = 188; 17.5%) and rituals of liberation (n = 142; 13.2%).

Table 4. Outcome of spiritual/physical assessment.

It is clear from this specific case that rituals of exorcism are the least likely outcome of these visits. Although the exorcist recommends for some patients a visit to a medical doctor and/or a psychologist, we can see from the above suggestions of other types of religious practices. The next section explores this finding.

Exorcism and deliverance

In 1993 Gabriel Amorth co-founded the International Association of Exorcists for Roman Catholic priest exorcists. By the year 2000, the association claimed to have 200 members (Collins, 2009). In the 1999 translation of his best-selling book, Amorth (1999: 15) admits to wanting to bring back an interest in exorcism ‘which was found in times past among Catholics but is now found only among Protestants’. He confirms his claim later in his book by stating that ‘as in the study and dissemination of the Bible, Catholics are lagging behind some Protestant denominations. I will never tire of repeating this: rationalism and materialism have polluted a segment of theologians’ (Amorth, 1999: 173). His aim is thus to contribute to re-establishing the pastoral practice of exorcism in the Catholic Church (Amorth, 1999: 174). However, as claimed by an insider, exorcism is usually used for cases of full possession (Blai, 2014) and it is rare. Amorth (1999: 34) even claims that ‘while possessions are still relatively rare today, we exorcists run into a great number of people who have been struck by the devil in health, jobs, or relationships’.

As we have seen in the case study above, Amorth (1999: 184) also believes that exorcists should take care of every type of Satanic intervention: ‘demonic oppression (much more numerous than full possession), obsession, infestation of houses, and other activity that appears to benefit from our prayers’. Amorth also makes reference to his Church’s inability to provide a ministry of deliverance. The significance, we read, of the increase in the number of professionals of exorcism is not necessarily that it provides the Roman Ritual, but that it keeps step with Protestantism in addressing a gap in the ministry that some Protestant groups appear also to have filled.

According to Hunt (1998), for neo-Pentecostals, ‘low level’ rituals to expel devil spirits are a rather common and mundane activity. According to this group, Christians cannot be possessed, and thus do not need the Roman Ritual, but can nevertheless be oppressed by a demon. While exorcism involves a ritual to expel a demon from a person, the deliverance ministry is more ‘charismatic’, involving less formal rituals aimed at alleviating some form of ‘demonization’ (Collins, 2009). Those who require these rituals are seen as ‘demonized’ and not ‘possessed’. The growth and appeal of the deliverance ministry which developed from the beginning of the 20th century underwent a further expansion in the early 1960s through the work of the Charismatic Renewal (Hunt, 1998: 216). It should be noted that the theology and practice of the ministry of deliverance is very diverse, and we refer to the work of Theron (1996) and Collins (2009) for more information and analysis. Further, although the Anglican and Catholic Churches did not embrace this ministry straight away, some individuals took an interest in these informal rituals (Hunt, 1998: 217). However, before we proceed with the argument that, as a group, the Anglican and Catholic Churches have started integrating a deliverance ministry to follow this Pentecostal Charismatic Renewal, history reminds us that some apostate Catholic priests did practise these forms of deliverance and exorcism, a case in point being that of Abbot Julio and his thick book of rituals of exorcism (or deliverance) pertaining to anything the demon can affect. This former priest was well known in the esoteric milieu and claimed in 1908 (l’Abbé Julio, 2014 [1908]: 22, 25) that Roman Catholics no longer had faith in the virtue of benedictions and the power of exorcism; they no longer knew ‘these magnificent prayers from the Church’.

In Milner’s (2002) work, we discover how the Church of England, later, only renewed its interest in exorcism and deliverance because of the renewed interest of the Pentecostals and Charismatics. The Church of England has put some mechanisms in place to feed into this renewed interest, while at the same time bureaucratizing exorcism and encouraging self-restraint, especially with regard to the touching of the body during the ritual.

Pentecostal and Charismatic encounters with the devil are more frequent and are more spontaneously dealt with. The emphasis is on ‘signs and wonders’ and on untrained people with ‘healing gifts’ as well as on clergy being able to remove the devil. The spontaneous and joyous noise of these activities contrast with the step by step, very careful, highly collaborative, and seldom needed exorcism procedures advocated by the Church of England. In dealing with demons, the Church of England moves away from charisma toward rationality. (Milner, 2002: 265)

Around the time that Paul VI got rid of the order of exorcists within the Catholic Church (Muchembled, 2000: 303), the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was developing – in the USA in 1967, and internationally in the 1970s (Csordas, 2007). This is a movement that synthesizes elements of Catholicism and Pentecostalism. One of its leaders was Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens, who wrote a book published by Pauline Editions in 1982, with a foreword by Cardinal Ratzinger. Amorth (1999: 173) quotes a useful passage:

At the beginning, many Catholics tied to the renewal movement discovered the practice of deliverance among Christians of other traditions, belonging mainly to the Free Churches or Pentecostals. The books that they read, and still read, for the most part come from these denominations. Among their literature there is an enormous wealth of information on the devil and his acolytes, on witchcraft and its methodology, and so forth. In the Catholic Church, this field has been left almost fallow. Our directives for specific pastoral response are inadequate for our times.

Amorth (1999: 186–187) then criticizes this cardinal for not regarding exorcism as a sacrament – however this is not the point of this article. In the quoted statement we can see a strong link between renewed interest in exorcism and the importation of a deliverance ministry into the Catholic Church through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. This is also indirectly observed in Csordas’s (2007) article.

Collins (2009: 184–185) concludes his book with the following passage:

… the renewed popularity of sacramental exorcism during the latter decades of the 20th century is an established fact. In the UK the main developments took place during the 1970s following the publication in 1972 of an ecumenical report commissioned by the Bishop of Exeter. This report seems to have galvanised and lent profile to a gentle Anglican form of sacramental exorcism roughly in parallel to the much more significant growth of Charismatic deliverance … the picture among Roman Catholics is somewhat different. Prior to the 1990s it seems that exorcism was largely confined to clandestine, unauthorised rituals hidden away from the church hierarchy, or to anti-establishment figures who had long since stopped caring about the official legitimacy of their actions. It was only during the 1990s that Roman Catholic enthusiastic sacramental exorcism became confident to emerge from the shadows. Books were published and priest-exorcists were appointed.

Collins (2009: 185) then argues that the reason that the Catholic Church took 20 years longer than the Anglican Church to sanction exorcism was its rigid bureaucracy.

The Neocatechumenal Way and Renewal in the Spirit, two movements of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, for example, have their own rituals that can be connected with the rituals of deliverance. As already mentioned, their aim is to bring together Catholicism and new instances of Pentecostalism. For this reason, the Catholic hierarchy has always regarded their rituals with suspicion, especially because these groups initially seemed to be too critical of the Church institution, and because their ritual systems, following the spread of the ritual forms characteristic of Pentecostalism, were too fervent, too active and engaging compared with the more classical and ordinary (and in a way, more orderly) ones to which the average Catholic is accustomed (D’Amato, 2009).

The points of contact between the charismatic Catholics’ rites of liberation and prayers of deliverance are many and varied, but the aspect that we are most interested in is the centrality of the power of the Holy Spirit, especially in the Renewal in the Spirit prayers of liberation. In this rite, the presence of the Holy Spirit, which is invoked with songs, prayers and the laying on of hands, is manifested through extraordinary events to those assembled and to the person being initiated. This person is often overwhelmed by the force and falls down, as if fainting after fighting against the forces of evil (Contiero, 2012).

The process of negotiation and transformation between Protestant Pentecostalism and Renewal in the Spirit concerning the Catholic ritual of deliverance centres around the distinction between ‘effusion of the Holy Spirit’ and ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’. The latter expression is generally used by Protestants to describe the transformation generated in them by divine intervention. However, this expression is too ambiguous for the Catholic Church, because it may be suggestive of a sort of super-baptism, or of a baptism perfecting or completing the one consecrated with water, which would then end up being only a preparatory rite. It is for this reason that the original expression has been replaced by Catholics with the term ‘effusion of the Holy Spirit’. The expression is meant to describe a new and special intervention by the Holy Spirit: ‘new’ in comparison to the previous interventions and ‘special’ for the way it occurs and for the fruits it bears for the individual receiving it (Favale, 1982).

The exorcist we interviewed justifies the distinction between the ritual of exorcism on one side and the blessing rituals and rituals of liberation on the other side by explaining the difference between ‘minor exorcism’ and ‘solemn exorcism’. The former is what is used in the ritual of baptism of children, or in adult baptism, and could be defined as a form of milder and less drastic exorcism. The solemn exorcism, however, corresponds to the traditional formula of exorcism, of which the Catholic Church, according to the interviewed exorcist’s words, would hold the monopoly.

As is clear from the data that we have analysed in the previous section, the solemn ritual of exorcism is a minimal part of his activities compared to the blessing rituals and those of liberation. This is explained by the exorcist as the greater flexibility that is offered by the ‘minor exorcism’ and by the rituals of blessing. As we have already seen, many people turn out to be not really possessed by the devil in the exorcist’s notes, but only disturbed by it. They therefore do not require a ‘solemn exorcism’. For them the ritual of exorcism may even be harmful, because it could lead them to believe they are actually possessed by the devil. This could even further complicate their well-being.

These rituals of blessing and liberation, the exorcist underlines, cannot be compared to the rituals of deliverance of the Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal movements, although he admits that they have some similarities. According to him, the biggest difference lies in who leads the ritual, which can often look like a ‘devout wizard’. This refers more to the feelings, emotions and the credulity of the people rather than to their faith in God’s power.

In the eyes of the same exorcist, however, the difference between the Catholic ritual of the ‘minor exorcism’ and the Pentecostal ritual of deliverance is not clear or well defined, and according to his words ‘there may well be some overlap’, because the two rituals fulfil the same needs for people. However, the way in which he describes the risks that are on both the Catholic and the Pentecostal side, be it liberation or deliverance rituals, is surprisingly clear: ‘certain answers to the suffering because of the devil more closely resemble theatrical performances than real moments of conversion, and everything seems to be from the consumer perspective, where everything is measured according the demand of the people, and the will of God is no longer taken into account’.

Discussion and conclusion

This article has provided a sociological examination of the specific case study of a Catholic exorcist in a western country in late modernity. Using the data provided by this priest, we discovered that more than 1000 patients visited this religious expert over a 10-year period, but only 5% of them qualify for a ritual of exorcism. Amiotte-Suchet (2016) recently published the account of an exorcist in France. He drew a difference between the exorcist who is more of a psychotherapist and those who are more inclined to engage with the devil. The priest in his case study only performed one ritual of exorcism and he regretted it. Overall, he refers his patients to medical experts or performs rituals that tend to be more of a deliverance nature. Our case is quite different in the sense that there is a strong screening with regard to performing rituals of exorcism (the psychotherapeutic approach) but they do happen for what are seen as legitimate cases (in this sense there is a specific engagement with the devil that goes beyond giving counselling and pastoral care).

Rituals of exorcism have already been theorized as, for example, a ritual of transformation bringing the patient back to a Christian life (Talamonti, 2008) or a way to control a patient’s non-ordinary experiences (Goodman, 2005). What this case reveals that has not yet been described in the literature, is that beyond the theological discussions and cultural differences, the rituals of blessing and rituals of liberation were found to be practised much more often than rituals of exorcism. Whereas Talamonti (2008) studied rituals of exorcism and Amiotte-Suchet (2016) rituals of what could be broadly described as therapeutic, this is the first case in which we find both. While being about using terms specific to a religious group, we discovered that these Catholic rituals had some links with rituals of deliverance. Through these rituals, it is not clear if the Catholic Church is countering the recent ‘religious products’ offered by Charismatic Protestant groups, or offering a needed product in this religious market.

Brunkhorst (2011) claims that in our current capitalist world, many religions are following on the heels of the tract of Protestant sects. This observation is furthered by Roy (2008), who writes about the Protestantization of religion to explain this phenomenon. As the French sociologist argues, while Islam and Buddhism have been ‘Protestantized’, Christianity has also been ‘Buddhinized’ (e.g. through engagement with the practice of meditation, or Christian yoga in which ‘Yahwey’ is used instead of Eastern mantras [Einstein, 2008]). This homogenization process is called in this perspective the Protestantization of religion, as religions, through being standardized more and more, are becoming closer to the traits of this religion heavily ingrained in US culture. Protestant groups are, of course, very diversified and this concept makes reference to a growing trend, rather than to the end of a process.

Gauthier et al. (2013: 16) have recently summarized this point well:

If the contents of belief appear to be diverse and heterogeneous, the modes of religious belief and practice have perhaps never been so homogeneous. There is no longer a deep cultural difference between a Christian and a Jew, let alone a Protestant and a Catholic, but rather something like a difference in lifestyle and life ethics – and networks of association. The turnaround is complete since the times analysed by Max Weber: it is no longer the different Christian cultures that shape capitalism – it is consumer culture that shapes Christianity (and religion in general).

As we have noticed a rapprochement between these different Christian groups with regard to practices of exorcism and deliverance, it is tempting to speak about the Protestantization of exorcism.

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#catholicism #catholic church #catholic dogma #deliverance #satan #demons #the devil #exorcism #secularization #sociology #case studies #ritual #religious renewal #catholic charismatic movement #catholic priesthood #catholic mysticism

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Jennifer Lopez at the Super Bowl? It’s the Role She Was Born to Play

Some time in 1998, riding high on critical acclaim for her performance alongside George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s sultry crime thriller “Out of Sight,” the rising actress Jennifer Lopez approached her manager with an unconventional idea: She wanted to make an album.

Lopez recalled his response was not encouraging in a recent “CBS Sunday Morning” interview: “Well, you know, you won’t be taken seriously as an actress now if you make a record, so how about we just stick to the acting right now?” That was not an option. The experience of playing the Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in a 1997 biopic had reignited a fire. “Once I did the movie ‘Selena,’ I was like, No, I’m doing it,” she said with a flash in her eyes.

On Sunday, Lopez will headline the Super Bowl halftime show with Shakira, joining the recent ranks of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Katy Perry. Her status as a triple-threat pop cultural polyglot by now feels so inevitable that it can be easy to forget what she risked in 1999 when she released her debut album, “On the 6.” A Los Angeles Times profile from that May — headline: “It’s Not ‘La Vida Loca’ to Her” — wondered why she would “put her red-hot film career on hold for more than a year to make an album.” (It’s hard to think of a contemporary equivalent to this surprise: Perhaps if Timothée Chalamet announced a break to focus on his rap career?) Even in the waning boom days of the recording industry, J. Lo’s music career was far from a guaranteed triumph.

But the gambit worked, of course. Her debut single, “If You Had My Love,” held No. 1 on the Billboard chart for five weeks that summer; “On the 6” went multiplatinum and was nominated for two Grammys. Her 2001 follow-up, “J.Lo,” fared even better, and its debut atop the album chart made her the first person in history to score a No. 1 album and a No. 1 movie (“The Wedding Planner”) simultaneously.

In some sense, though, that manager’s prophecy came true. “The Wedding Planner” was not exactly “Out of Sight”: The daffy, predictable rom-com that asked its audience to believe that Jennifer Lopez was Italian currently holds a 16 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Gigli” would soon follow — and that’s all that needs to be said about that. In pursuing a pop career, and thus a less solemn and obedient identity as a Serious Actress, Lopez telegraphed early on that she was a bit too restless to play by Hollywood’s rules. Pop music offered Lopez more flexibility anyway: Leading roles weren’t exactly flowing to Latinas, and meaningful conversations about diversity in the movie industry were more than a decade away.

Now, over 20 years after her first pivot to music, a jilted Hollywood seems once again to be thumbing its nose at Lopez. Though she was widely expected to receive her first Oscar nomination for her complex, defiantly unsentimental performance as stripper-turned-grifter Ramona Vega in the hit movie “Hustlers,” the Academy left her in the cold. (“First of all, ‘Hustlers’ is not an Oscar movie,” one 91-year-old Academy voter recently told Page Six.) The supporting actress nominees are all white.

It does not feel entirely coincidental that this rebuke happened on the heels of yet another year when Lopez worked overtime to remind the world that — far from a side-hustle or a part-time vanity project — she is still very much an active musician. In April she released a new single, “Medicine,” which features the rapper French Montana and has a surreal, Busby-Berkley-meets-haute-couture music video. Then, following a successful Las Vegas residency that ended in 2018, last summer Lopez embarked on the 38-date (and $54.7 million-grossing) It’s My Party arena tour; her performances were an entertaining and impressively athletic blend of showgirl glitz and South Bronx grit.

The tour was also evidence that Lopez is particularly well-suited for the Super Bowl halftime show — an event that calls for a glitter-encrusted ringmaster’s charisma, a catalog of hits that anyone can sing along to, and a kind of professionalized sass and sex appeal that does not quite veer into the territory of an F.C.C. violation (as Janet Jackson and M.I.A. can attest). It should be an especially fitting display of her talents: The quintessential Jennifer Lopez experience is an audiovisual one, allowing her to glide fluidly between music, movement and the theatrical star-power that can keep an audience riveted. And given both Justin Timberlake’s somnolent 2018 performance and Maroon 5 and Travis Scott’s haphazard, cringe-inducing celebration of Adam Levine’s chest tattoos, the past few halftime shows have offered plenty of room for improvement.

Lopez’s musical career has not been without its misfires, but she has remained tenaciously committed to it as a necessary creative outlet. Its duration alone, in the fickle and ageist world of pop, is staggering: The 50-year-old Lopez has stuck around long enough to ride the wave of two different “Latin booms,” from “Bailamos” to Bad Bunny. She’s moved relatively nimbly with the changing tides, from the airy confections of the “TRL” era to the harder crystalline beats that accompanied the EDM-crazed 2010s. One of the most successful singles of Lopez’s career, the driving, sing-song-y Pitbull collaboration “On the Floor” came in 2011, a full 12 years after her debut album.

But from “On the 6” to her recent Oscar snub, Lopez seems to have found, in her pop career, a sense of freedom and validation that has eluded her in Hollywood, where she continues to vibrate at a slightly different frequency. She founded her own production company and in 2016 starred in one of its creations, the network cop show “Shades of Blue,” while others were leaning toward prestige TV. The figure of the Serious Actress is still cut from a stiff, restrictive cloth. But if you know one thing about J. Lo, it’s that she has an innate desire to move.

At least in the pop-cultural consciousness, Lopez was first known as a dancer. There she is grooving in the video for Janet Jackson’s 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes,” and backing New Kids on the Block in an American Music Awards performance that screams 1991. (Even before then, she’d cut her teeth in musical theater, appearing in regional productions of “Oklahoma!” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”) In 1992, she bested 2,000 other hopefuls when she snagged a coveted spot as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” But Lopez didn’t want to be hemmed too tightly into that role either: She turned down an offer to be a backing dancer on Jackson’s tour because she wanted to act.

By the time she’d established herself onscreen — “Selena” was her breakthrough — and finally got around to giving pop stardom a go, Jenny had been around the proverbial block. On the Billboard charts and MTV, Lopez suddenly found herself competing with upstarts nearly half her age. Remember that 1999 marked not just the year of “On the 6,” but also the arrival of “Baby One More Time” and “Genie in a Bottle” — by 17-year-old Britney Spears and 18-year-old Christina Aguilera. Lopez turned 30 that July.

Especially for women, pop is often considered the domain of the almost criminally young. But in her most iconic music videos, Lopez’s age actually gave her something of an edge. Compared to the nymphets sharing her “TRL” airtime, Lopez projected a grown woman who was in full control of her image, at ease with her sexuality and confident in her incessantly Googled body.

On an episode of the podcast Still Processing, the New York Times writer Jenna Wortham suggested that Lopez’s music videos created a space in which she could express more of herself than she could in almost any of her movie roles — whether it was the bumbling and questionably Italian rom-com heroine, the cat-fighting rival (“Monster in Law”) or the tragic victim (“Enough”). “You see this woman who knows exactly where she is, in space and time,” Wortham said. “She’s not tripping over things, she doesn’t have to fight with anybody, she’s paying her own bills, her life is not in danger. She is exactly where she’s supposed to be, and she looks like she’s loving every minute of it.”

Perhaps because of her varied resume, Lopez isn’t always thought of as a pop superstar. But when she’s good, she is better than she gets credit for. The pulsating “Waiting for Tonight” remains a Y2K dance floor classic; her brassy 2004 single “Get Right” is an eternal fan favorite; even “Dinero,” her playfully raucous 2018 collaboration with Cardi B and DJ Khaled proves she can ham it up with a new generation of kindred spirits. She has admitted recently that she accepted the gig as a judge on “American Idol” in part to garner a little more respect in the music world. “I don’t think I had been taken seriously up until then for what I knew about music,” Lopez told Variety. (She was a judge on the show from 2010 to 2016.)

Plenty of Hollywood types told her that job might jeopardize her film career, too — but Lopez had heard that one before. “I was like, ‘The truth is, I’m not getting offered a whole bunch of movies,’” she said, “so what are they not going to offer me?”

The major cultural events of the next two weeks will once again draw attention to the duality of Lopez’s stardom. That will probably be to her advantage. The Oscars are poised to be especially bland this year, with their lack of diversity, predictable narratives and old-fashioned reverence for movies about white male rage. It would have been an honor to have been invited, sure, but that’s not J. Lo’s kind of party anyway. Maybe the greatest gift the Oscar ceremony can offer her is the opportunity to upstage it the weekend before.

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nickster-v · 5 years

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The History of Bible

HISTORY OF BIBLE

The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the Earth from its earliest creation to the spread of Christianity in the first century A.D. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament have undergone changes over the centuries, including the publication of the King James Bible in 1611 and the addition of several books that were discovered later.

Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first section of the Bible, covering the creation of Earth through Noah and the flood, Moses and more, finishing with the Jews being expelled to Babylon.

The Bible’s Old Testament is very similar to the Hebrew Bible, which has origins in the ancient religion of Judaism. The exact beginnings of the Jewish religion are unknown, but the first known mention of Israel is an Egyptian inscription from the 13th century B.C.

The earliest known mention of the Jewish god Yahweh is in an inscription relating to the King of Moab in the 9th century B.C. It is speculated that Yahweh was possibly adapted from the mountain god Yhw in ancient Seir or Edom.

Hezekiah

It was during the reign of Hezekiah of Judah in the 8th century B.C. that historians believe what would become the Old Testament began to take form, the result of royal scribes recording royal history and heroic legends.

During the reign of Josiah in the 6th century B.C., the books of Deuteronomy and Judges were compiled and added. The final form of the Hebrew Bible developed over the next 200 years when Judah was swallowed up by the expanding Persian Empire.

Septuagint

Following conquest by Alexander the Great, the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the 3rd century B.C.

Known as the Septuagint, this Greek translation was initiated at the request of King Ptolemy of Egypt to be included in the library of Alexandria. The Septuagint was the version of the Bible used by early Christians in Rome.

The Book of Daniel was written during this period and included in the Septuagint at the last moment, though the text itself claims to have been written sometime around 586 B.C.

New Testament

The New Testament tells the story of the life of Jesus and the early days of Christianity, most notably Paul’s efforts to spread Jesus’ teaching. It collects 27 books, all originally written in Greek.

The sections of the New Testament concerning Jesus are called the Gospels and were written about 40 years after the earliest written Christian materials, the letters of Paul, known as the Epistles.

Paul’s letters were distributed by churches sometime around 50 A.D., possibly just before Paul’s death. Scribes copied the letters and kept them in circulation. As circulation continued, the letters were collected into books.

Some in the church, inspired by Paul, began to write and circulate their own letters, and so historians believe that some books of the New Testament attributed to Paul were in fact written by disciples and imitators.

As Paul’s words were circulated, an oral tradition began in churches telling stories about Jesus, including teachings and accounts of post-resurrection appearances. Sections of the New Testament attributed to Paul talk about Jesus with a firsthand feeling, but Paul never knew Jesus except in visions he had, and the Gospels were not yet written at the time of Paul’s letters.

The Gospels

The oral traditions within the church formed the substance of the Gospels, the earliest book of which is Mark, written around 70 A.D., 40 years after the death of Jesus.

It is theorized there may have been an original document of sayings by Jesus known as the Q source, which was adapted into the narratives of the Gospels. All four Gospels were published anonymously, but historians believe that the books were given the name of Jesus’ disciples to provide direct links to Jesus to lend them greater authority.

Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the Bible, an example of apocalyptic literature that predicts a final celestial war through prophecy. Authorship is ascribed to John, but little else is known about the writer.

According to the text, it was written around 95 A.D. on an island off the coast of Turkey. Some scholars believe it is less a prophecy and more a response to the Roman destruction of the Great Temple and Jerusalem.

This text is still used by Evangelical Christians to interpret current events in expectation of the End Times, and elements of it find frequent use in popular entertainment.

Biblical Canon

Surviving documents from the 4th century show that different councils within the church released lists to guide how various Christian texts should be treated.

The earliest known attempt to create a canon in the same respect as the New Testament was in 2nd century Rome by Marcion, a Turkish businessman and church leader.

Marcion’s work focused on the Gospel of Luke and the letters of Paul. Disapproving of the effort, the Roman church expelled Marcion.

Second-century Syrian writer Tatian attempted to create a canon by weaving the four gospels together as the Diatessaron.

The Muratorian Canon, which is believed to date to 200 A.D., is the earliest compilation of canonical texts resembling the New Testament.

It was not until the 5th century that all the different Christian churches came to a basic agreement on Biblical canon. The books that eventually were considered canon reflect the times they were embraced as much the times of the events they portray.

During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, books not originally written in Hebrew but Greek, such as Judith and Maccabees, were excluded from the Old Testament. These are known the Apocrypha and are still included in the Catholic Bible.

Gnostic Gospels

Additional Biblical texts have been discovered, such as the Gospel of Mary, which was part of the larger Berlin Gnostic Codex found in Egypt in 1896.

Fifty further unused Biblical texts were discovered in Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945, known as the Gnostic Gospels.

Among the Gnostic Gospels were the Gospel of Thomas—which purports to be previously hidden sayings by Jesus presented in collaboration with his twin brother—and The Gospel of Philip, which implies a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The original texts are believed to date back to around 120 A.D.

The Book of Judas was found in Egypt in the 1970s. Dated to around 280 A.D., it is believed by some to contain secret conversations between Jesus and his betrayer Judas.

These have never become part of the official Biblical canon, but stem from the same traditions and can be read as alternative views of the same stories and lessons. These texts are taken as indications of the diversity of early Christianity.

King James Bible

The King James Bible is possibly the most widely-known edition of the Bible, though in England it is known as the “Authorized Version.”

First printed in 1611, this edition of the Bible was commissioned in 1604 by King James I after feeling political pressure from Puritans and Calvinists demanding church reform and calling for a complete restructuring of church hierarchy.

In response, James called for a conference at Hampton Court Palace, during which it was suggested to him that there should be a new translation of the Bible since versions commissioned by earlier monarchs were felt to be corrupt.

King James eventually agreed and decreed the new translation should speak in contemporary language, using common, recognizable terms. James’ purpose was to unite the warring religious factions through a uniform holy text.

This version of the Bible was not altered for 250 years and is credited as one of the biggest influences on the English language, alongside the works of Shakespeare. The King James Bible introduced a multitude of words and phrases now common in the English language, including “eye for an eye,” “bottomless pit,” “two-edged sword,” “God forbid,” “scapegoat” and “turned the world upside down,” among many others.

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trevorbailey61 · 6 years

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My Bloody Valentine

O2 Institute, Birmingham Friday 22nd June 2018

Kevin Shields is not a man in a hurry. With the special guests advertised on the tickets failing to materialise, the venue tweeted that the headline had a lot to get through and suggested that we arrive at 8:00pm. Most heeded this advice and on a hot summers evening, the hall was already full by this time, bodies uncomfortably close adding to the oppressive heat so that beads of sweat could be seen on those near the stage. Then we waited .... and waited, conversations that had earlier shown an enthusiastic level of participation had dried up leaving faces gazing hopefully at the stage with just the faint sound of the background music to keep their interest. Four spotlights were lined up across the back of the stage, their brightness hypnotic in the gloom, giving some distraction from the roadies who having apparently completed their duties, would soon be back repeating the task to the exacting standard required. Pieces of paper were frequently exchanged, one suspects they held the setlist but once taped in place, another would soon appear, even at this late stage, the order being changed until it was just right. Then, Kevin Shields has never been a man in a hurry. Over the course of three decades, the band he put together to realise his vision have managed to complete just three albums and a handful of EPs and singles. This included a gap of nearly a quarter of a century between albums numbers 2 and 3 during which others built entire careers, governments would rise and fall, planes didn’t fall from the sky in the new millennium and even the never ending sale at Allied Carpets came to an end when the company went into administration. Once contemporaries of Nirvana and The Stone Roses, they would find their latest opus alongside Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus; not that this passage of time can be heard. The sound is of its own, existing in an unchanging world that only incidentally infiltrates our own to leave its apocalyptic imprint. It is as if a chord struck in the early nineties was left to reverberate over the years until being picked up again many years later.

The level of productivity is pure slacker but is mostly based on Shields’ unrelenting perfectionism. Whilst the 1991 album “Loveless” is now, contrary to its title, widely loved, it was not by the record label who, frustrated by delays and production costs, dropped the band following its release. Its creator, however, still seems to very much regard it as a work in progress and its rerelease was delayed by four years as he continued to tinker until he found that elusive sound that only he could understand. Marking their first appearance in five years, this concert shows the same painstaking attention to detail and despite seemingly having been prepared, there are a number of interruptions when Shields feels that the sound isn’t what it should be. Inevitably when the number starts again the difference is imperceptible to everyone else and whilst Shields himself seems to hear it, you feel that it is still not quite right. Then this was really what this show was about as the following day will see them at The Festival Hall as part of the Robert Smith curated Meltdown and this is the hastily arranged warm-up. Rather than an overwhelming desire to play in Brum, the Institute was no doubt chosen as it was a convenient venue that had a gap in its schedule but when I received an email about three weeks before announcing the concert, I knew I had to take advantage of what was a rare opportunity to experience the MBV. Convenient it may have been but the Institute has its own sonic vagaries that seemed to cause Shields so much frustration, even during the parts that were allowed to run normally, he would often be engaged in animated discussion with the technicians or stand with his ear pressed against the stack of Marshall amps in attempt to isolate that elusive moment of sonic perfection.

Loud, it was loud. Having passed through security and having our tickets scanned we are handed a small packet that contains two foam ear plugs and once inside one of the security team walks around advising us that we should wear them. We decide that, at our age, we no longer have to prove our mettle and put them in but the orange foam can be seen in the ears of even the younger members of the audience, that is aside from those experienced in the MBV who have brought their own. This may all sound a bit “elf and safety gone mad” were it not that we saw The Jesus and Mary Chain at the same venue last year where no one felt the need to provide us with foam ear buds not to mention Shields stint with “Xtrmntr” era Primal Scream which has to be the concert that caused the most long term damage to my hearing. Rather than noise level regulations, then, it is the band themselves who insist on the ear protection and it certainly helps to introduce a level of apprehension as you contemplate the battering your senses are about to receive and wonder whether you will leave the same person as you were when you went in. At the start of “Cigarettes In Your Bed”, Shields exchanges his Fender Jaguar for an acoustic guitar, usually an indication of calmer waters and a bit of deeply introspective folk. Instead it triggers another brutal assault, the vibrations of the strings carried through an array of effects pedals and a stack of speakers until it emerges shaped and distorted into the maelstrom. This does, however, serve to show that there is more to MBV than just sheer volume, the sound is distinct, it gives a different feel showing the texture and nuance that helps to justify the laborious methods through which it is produced and the volume at which it is played.

Two microphones are set across the front of the stage behind which Shields and fellow guitarist and singer Bilinda Butcher add their voices to the mix. MBV, however, are not really about words and the levels of the vocals are set so low in the mix that they feel like a ghostly voice that has appeared from another dimension. It is the feel of the music that is important, how the guitar assault plays on our emotions: I’m sure someone has deciphered the words but knowing them certainly won’t enhance, and maybe even detract, from this. Butcher stands close, mouth pressed against the microphone and only changing her position once to add some keyboards. Behind her, an array of speakers in front of which Debbie Googe adds the rumbling bass, the depth of the which sounds surprising given that she seems to play most of it on the higher frets. Drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig occupies the gap between the speakers leaving the other side of the stage entirely for Shields’ slow wanderings and the pedals, effects and other gizmos he uses to coax the strange sounds out of the six strings across which his fingers move. A fifth member of the band is hidden away in the corner, occasionally adding the repetitive signatures that identify the numbers or a burst of additional guitar. Whilst the space he is given represents Shields creative input, MBV are very much a band. Ó Cíosóig and Googe are a formidable rhythm section; despite its apparent disregard of many conventions, the music is structured around a regular, if changing, beat that Ó Cíosóig uses his sticks to count in, something that seems surprisingly rock ’n’ roll. With her demure expression and dressed in a smart blouse, long skirt and heels, Butcher could have be heading out for an intimate meal before taking a wrong turn and finding herself here. Her sweet voice manages to sound both equally incongruous and just right whilst her playing is an integral part of the twin assault of the two guitars.

A burst of feedback and the screeching “I Only Said” signals that this assault has begun and that we are at the point of no return. Patterns play out of the screen behind, projected from the balcony so that the colours fill the whole room whilst the faces of the musicians remain obscured in shadow. In a way this seems appropriate as the sound does seem a little muddy, the playing is wonderful, particularly Googe’s bass and the fills provided by Ó Cíosóig but overall it doesn’t quite capture the magic of the recording. “When You Sleep”, another from “Loveless”, follows but again, by now to Shields’ obvious frustration, doesn’t quite hit the spot. Two thumping drum beats start “New You” and eventually things begin to click with a wonderful lumbering baseline from Googe securing the carefully constructed textures that are starting to emerge. The technical problems weren’t completely over but after a few false starts, things did pick up and where they didn’t, Shields accepted that he had to live with them. The sound problems persist through the favourite “Only Shallow” but when it does gel to we get the overwhelming thrill that we were expecting. The multi layered “To Here Knows When”, played almost solo by Shields, was far noisier than its recorded version and the surprisingly bright melody of “What You Want” managed to make itself heard amongst the thrashing feedback of the chords. “Slow” found a thumping solid beat and a deep grungy bass and the urgent repeated hook of “Soon” made it a brilliantly infectious highlight. “Wonder 2” saw Ó Cíosóig abandon his drum kit to add yet another guitar to the white noise that drowned out the programmed beats before returning for the thrashing “Feed Me With Your Kiss”. The thrilling finale of “You Made Me Realise” was immense, once upon a time it was 3 minute, fairly conventional, aside from a few seconds of noise, song very much of its time. Since it has grown to the immense, tumultuous storm that it now is; the conclusion that MBV fans call the holocaust. Ó Cíosóig pounds at his drums, Googe’s bass is felt rather than heard and the searing feedback of the guitars is relentless is its terror.

By now we had made our way to the back of the hall in order to make sure we would get to the station in time to catch the last train. Leaving, I remove the foam from my ears and we are soon able to hold a conversation without having to overcome any ringing. The protection they offered was probably minimal and they are given out more for effect but they did at least seem to cut out the noisier aspects of the holocaust. After five years away there was always likely to be a rehearsal element and the false starts and technical problems did make for a show that at times seemed shambolic but in a way it was ever thus. Despite all that, it was enthralling, bizarre and quite unlike anything else you will hear. The perfection of the sound in Shields head is something he will never be able to achieve but his quest is fascinating and occasionally we get to hear it. It could be a while before we get another opportunity.

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phobio2000 · 7 years

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Love is Silly

I was at a book store one day and saw Michael Chang having an autobiography comping out. He’s a Chinese-American tennis player, the first to win a Grand Slam (French Open) and the youngest to do it. My tennis coach said he got there by shear hard work. Yet, although he had won many masters since, he never won another Grand Slam. His contemporaries, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi won a lot, the difference in natural gifting.

The book was incredibly easy to read, for he’s an athlete who did not even finish high school, though did get a diploma through passing tests. I think he is smart, just doesn’t have a degree in literature or something, so his writings are very straightforward and I like it. I actually finished it very quickly and then, when I got home, my brother’s friend’s visiting and he’s a huge fan, so I just gave it to him lol :D.

He was coached by his brother. From the look of things there’s that sense of sibling rivalry involved, when the younger sibling looks up to the older sibling and desire to outperform him. It’s a very typical scenario of the older child’s discipline and maturity vs the younger child’s typically superior natural talent and passion. It could go either way. Phil Wickham outperformed Evan Wickham, Serena Williams outperformed Venus Williams (my coach said Venus has better natural talent). Sometimes there’s a lot of tension and mismanaged emotions and things can get pretty hard. Like Ritchie Valens and his older brother, the older brother couldn’t handle it and would get drunk and stuff.

But for Michael’s case, maybe it has to do with their Christian heritage and the love that runs in his family, everything worked out. The family’s love is exemplified when his father moved to Souther California just because the children love tennis so much. They could only afford tennis lesson for one child, so the older learned and taught the younger. They joined the network that houses young athletes that go to various places to compete so they too can participate in it and his mom took him everywhere to compete in tournaments. Good parents make all the difference sometimes. When Stephen Chow said he’s interested in kung fu and acting, his mom did her best to make the arrangements for him, even though his family was poor, and thus a star is born, though looking at him you’d think that he’s someone that’s highly unlikely to be a movie star, but he overcame and brought something unique to the industry that no one has ever come close to imitate.

But back to Michael. I think the tension was there for the older brother, but he decided to be the wind beneath Michael’s wings and help him succeed. When he graduated from college he wanted to try and compete professionally. His father accompanied him. The difference in treatment between Michal and his brother is huge. When Michael shows up he gets all the best accommodations and everyone’s super nice, but when his brother shows up all he gets is a cold shoulder and a few fuzzless old tennis balls to warm up with. And this is actually a central theme of Steven Chow’s movies. My favorite one is actually not the most famous one. It’s called “Love on Delivery” and it’s available on YouTube. It’s so funny, highly recommended.

And that’s actually what I want to write about today.

While I am feeling increasingly uncomfortable about talking about myself, I guess it’s appropriate to share a personal story that I’ve shared many times before, so I hope it has not gotten too old. Basically, when I came to the US at the age of ten, I was just a fat kid, fresh off the boat awkward, and couldn’t speak English. People ignore and make fun of me. There were a couple of exceptions, sort of, and I still remember those people. And then after a few years I lost the weight, got taller, and spoke OK English, and there was a big change in how people perceive and treated me. I mean, I don’t think I was ever bitter about being discriminated against for my weight and ethnicity, but I did believe in trying hard at everything I do. I’d rather sweat like a pig and gasp for air in the PE class and have people gloat and laugh at my patheticness than pretend to think that I’m too cool for this and not try. And I’d rather make a fool of myself trying to speak English than not, because when I think of the long term ramifications, I knew it was a matter of survival, and I was right, as many of my ESL (English as second language) classmates never made it through college. Those classes felt like babysitting, put all the bad English speakers in one class so they won’t drag down the school’s record.

So I was sort of a cool kid, at least far from uncool, and the my dad died and I fell into depression, then I was totally uncool again. I don’t think I ever cared about whether I’m cool or not, nor made an effort to appear cool for anyone. I just believe in being true to myself and live for Jesus, which is as cool as I’m ever going to be. Even to church people I was a hot potato. Hey, what happened to loving people like Jesus do? So, as you can see, it’s very hard for me to believe in Christians, inviting them into my heart as my inner circle, close friends that are dear to my heart. I am all for loving and serving them, and in return, the best I can expect and ever hope for is that they won’t rough me up too much while I’m trying to do them right. It’s just how I truly feel, and rightfully so, and it’ll take a miracle from God to change that.

And then, after a few years, I got better, still depressed on the inside, but got stronger and more mature, and then very same people who I hung out with, and then gave me the cold shoulders, and now are OK with me again. One person even complained that I was being difficult back then, dragging people down (and she wanted to go out with me?! Lol :D). Church is the same, I got one person who said he felt bad for not doing enough back then (not sorry, but felt bad). I told him it’s OK, but in my heart I know very well that if it happens again nothing would change. And as I grow older I thought, “He’s a psychologist, and how hard is it to encourage me to see a counselor of some sort for grievance counseling? If he had done that, that evil woman might not have had the chance to take the opportunity to brainwash me, which would have saved me a lot of trouble, but whatever, what can you expect from Christians? Lol :D).

Well, you may think that what happened to me was peculiar, but I assure you, that’s how the world works.

I’ve this friend who worked at IBLP headquarters. She’s very social and knows a lot of people, but eventually things didn’t go well between her and Bill Gothard and suddenly she was sort of alienated. People were forced to choose side, and they’ll almost choose the side that aid with their survival and prosperity (hence evolution theory is so popular, though scientifically dubious; its hypothesis fits the sinful humanity all too well). And then, even for those who aren’t a part of the IBLP network, there’s always the concern that this person could end up trying to borrow money and become a burden to them. So she was pretty much left alone to die. As far as I know very few people care about her, even though she’s been in the ministry for decades and supposedly know a lot of full time church workers who are supposed to be full of love. Now, I don’t like to talk about my own good deeds and toot my own horns, but I want to illustrate the irony of the situation. I actually wrote her a check, even though I was unemployed at the time, because I believe that this will lift her spirit, especially when I am unemployed, and really, hey, I totally understand, I’ve been there.

I don’t know much about my father’s life, just little glimpses here and there. When I was born he was already in his sixties. I was told he was a rich man, and he helped make some people rich, too. His brother is a politician. Once he told me that, back in China when his brother was running for office, he’d have people carry bushels full of silver into the city to help him with his campaign.

When I was a baby he lost most of his money. His wife divorced him, too. He went to the US to apply for immigration for me and my brother. When we were leaving the country his brother bought us dinner and he gave my father… $2,000… Lol :D. And for all succeeding years, none of our rich relatives, rich friends, and people who he helped make rich, none of them really helped us out or even got in touch. I never got to see the smart and capable man that people said my dad was, but just a disillusioned old guy living in a small condo, reading newspapers and watching the Lakers. That’s life.

I can go on. Look at the life of MC Hammer. There are countless examples. Watch the movie "The Last Emperor".

I guess my point is: 1. Don’t be naïve about this, otherwise it could destroy you like it destroyed MC Hammer. 2. Life is about what you can do with your God given talents, your mind, you hands, whatever. People are not dependable nor trustworthy. You must monitor your life at all times and make sure that nobody is in the position to compromise you; don’t ever give them the opportunity. 3. If you truly love God, show it by loving the least of the people who everyone ignores and have nothing to give back; this is the true measure of your love.

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consciousowl · 7 years

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Without Imagination … You’re History!

In life, we have our choice of three options:

1. Make History

2. Write History

3. Become History

If we fully use our imagination, and insist on living within the context of possibility, we can make history. If we draw on our imagination from time to time and appreciate what it offers, we can write history. However, if we refuse imagination, we have no choice but to become history.

Becoming history is to cling to tradition in a post-modern world, or to insist that the American Way is the only right way when the entire world is coming together in a new planetary order. Becoming history is to end up in a rut where we can no longer smell the roses or hear the songbirds.

What Is Imagination?

Imagination is our vision, our inner seeing and knowing. It is the avenue to creation. It goes beyond our ability to visualize new combinations of possibilities, and even fresh possibilities that were never before created. It is something that we all have, but which we appreciate only to varying degrees. It is central to what makes us human.

Reproductive Imagination is our ability to close our eyes and recall in great detail what lies before us, much like eidetic memory, where we can glance at a page, close our eyes and recite every word. It is an ability that illustrators and painters develop to a high degree.

They don’t simply see, they observe, they become what they perceive.

Synthetic Imagination is our ability to put together elements of our experience in novel ways to come out with something entirely unique. For example, automobiles change their models every several years. They still have the same basic features: bumper, fenders, hood, cabin and trunk. However, the way these features are shaped can change dramatically. Cars have been small, large, long, round and boxy. Same car, different looks.

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Creative Imagination is our ability to visualize something that has never been in existence before. The classic example is Thomas Edison creating the incandescent light bulb, after literally 10,000 separate attempts. Thomas visualized the bulb in his inner eye, but he couldn’t make it work, no matter what he did. Suddenly, the perfect solution popped into his head, and he became an immortal light bearer to humanity.

Why Imagination Is Supremely Important

Without imagination, we could easily jump off cliffs, being shocked when we landed in a heap. It allows us to foresee the consequences of our actions. It helps us to realize that, when we light a match, we could easily cause a forest fire should we be so careless. It helps us physically survive in countless ways, over and above pure observation.

Imagination has a deeper function in helping us realize that we are in love. It can take mere infatuation and propel your life to ultimate romance. Through imagination, a man feels what his sweetheart is feeling, and she feels his setbacks and upsets as much as if they were his own.

With sufficient imagination, we can stay young years longer, marveling at the intricate possibilities of life.

Imagination ultimately gives us the ability to both know and “see” Whom and What we call “God.” As the Apostle John put it, “How can you love God, Whom you have not seen, and fail to love your brother and sister, whom you have seen?” Imagination is informed by our deepest intuitions and lets us revel in the Mystery that forever continues to present Itself.

How Imagination Creates Your Reality

Olympic athletes often practice their sport with their eyes closed, inclined and totally relaxed. They do a mental rehearsal of their pole vault, and feel their heart beat and their muscles contract as they successfully leap over the tall barrier. Neurophysiologists have discovered that the same parts of the brain are actualized in visualization as in perception.

Reality is not really “out there” in the normal sense of the word. It is constructed out of our experience and interpreted through language. It is all contained within the field of our consciousness, just as the ocean engulfs all the fish within it.

It is our imagination that allows us to feel that this or that is “real.”

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Napoleon Hill advised people who wanted to accumulate money to visualize it as cash lying in front of them, to actually visualize the $100 bill right in front of you, all the while your eyes are closed. He postulated that if you see, feel and believe that you will have it, forces of the Universe would actually come together to make it happen, much as described in the powerful motivational film, The Secret.

Three Men Who Used Imagination to Create the Future

Many distinguished people have used imagination to achieve immortality, including Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy, George Lucas and more recently, J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series. Three of the most useful people to discuss in this light engaged with the “real” world in very different ways.

Albert Einstein

Albert maintained that imagination is more important than knowledge. Although he was a good mathematician with solid reasoning skills, he wasn’t a great mathematician of the order of Sir Isaac Newton, who invented calculus and gave us classical physics. Yet through Albert’s thought experiments, he invented the Theory of Relativity, and made much of Newton’s work obsolete. What is even more amazing is that most of his thought experiments proved uncannily right, such as the idea that space is curved. His strange ideas were irreversibly demonstrated with the detonation of the world’s first nuclear device. Energy and mass are one and the same!

Steve Jobs

Steve was a vegetarian who meditated for hours a day, and traveled throughout India. He was obsessed with what he called “making a dent in the universe.” Steve felt that the best way he could do this was to make a computer that “even his mother could love.” Out of this work came the adorable Macintosh, which is as close to perfection as we are ever likely to see this side of heaven. To forever end people’s fear of computers, Steve gave it a “mouse” that people could hold and an interface that was foolproof. You couldn’t use the mouse the wrong way. Yet Steven wasn’t satisfied with this. He went on to create a device the size of a pack of cigarettes that could carry a whole library of records. He then turned that into a phone, and evolved it all into an ultra-thin notebook that could do almost anything a large computer could do, including play video for hours.

Elon Musk

Elon once applied to Netscape for a job in the early days of the Web. Nobody there took him seriously. He decided to create his own company, which became PayPal, a form of digital currency. Elon successfully sold that, and could have cashed out and lived in luxury for the duration. That wasn’t enough. Elon came across the early stages of making an all-electric sports car, bought it out, and then risked his fortune several times to make it the Tesla we all know and love. Yet that was not enough for him. He dreamed of a private rocket that could land itself back on the very aircraft carrier that launched it. Elon then proceeded to build Space X. If all that were not enough, he built affordable solar panels that could replace tiles on a roof with Solar City. You would think it was now time for him to retire. No, Elon is now immersed in a plan to build a colony on the Planet Mars. There is no limit to his imagination!

How You Can Develop Your Own Imagination

Imagination is like a muscle, in that it never permanently atrophies. You can always rebuild it through exercise, by placing increasing demands upon it. In my earlier years, I had a hard time consciously visualizing. Now it has come much more easily for me, perhaps because I am more fully engaged with digital media.

Imagination for most of us starts with dreams. It is fairly easy to create a dream journal. Studying the work of Carl Jung is a wonderful beginning, especially his beautifully illustrated book, Man and His Symbols. You might also want to consider a course in lucid dreaming.

Story telling is the basis for much imagination. When we were little children, “Let’s pretend…” was a natural expression.

Do you remember those times?

I could easily imagine with my eyes open. I could grab a stick, and it WAS a sword and I WAS a knight in shining amour.

You may not feel that you are a natural storyteller, or even joke teller, but you can now find numerous workshops in the art. What wonderful fun!

Mind Movies are a contemporary way to condition your mind to work night and day to attract good things into your life. With compelling music and appealing, positive images, you can easily project yourself into a wide variety of positive scenes that include romance, wealth and adventure. Software is now available for you to easily put your custom Mind Movie together.

Imagination Is What Makes Us Divine

Steve Jobs downloaded only one book into his own iBooks application on his iPad: Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda. Copies of this perennial best seller were given out to every one in his private memorial service. Yogananda came to America from India on a lifelong mission to fuse Hinduism and Christianity. Early on, he taught Americans to bend their knees and chant “AUM.”

He observed that imagination is the divine faculty that makes us in the Image of God. When you study the actual words of Christ as recorded in the Gospel of John, you find that Jesus was constantly using metaphors: I AM… The Bread of Life… The Light of the World… The Resurrection and the Life. That must actually be how the mind of the greatest Man who ever lived actually worked.

Can we afford to do any less? Time to seize our God-given birthright and exercise our imagination to the hilt!

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