Anthropology of Protestantism

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Anthropology of Protestantism
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Protestantism

• Began as reform movement in Catholic church in
  early 1500s in EU
• Martin Luther objected to sale of indulgences,
  questioned celibacy of priests, doctrine of
  transubstantiation
• Ex-communicated in 1521 lead reform movement
• End of 1500s Protestant churches in N. EU
  Catholic churches in S. EU

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Protestantism politics

• Anglican church emerged in England Scandinavia,
  monarchs headed churches
• John Calvin controlled reform movement in
  Geneva
• Anabaptists shunned worldly politics
• 17th 18th c. colonialism N. Am. refuge from
  repressive policies of EU churches

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Early North America

• 1630 Massachusetts Bay Colony , theocratic state
• Rhode Island religious tolerance
• Baptists Calvinist, Arminian, Seventh Day
• 1720s revival movement in New England
  (emotional tie to divine) camp meetings Great
  Awakenings
• 1776 post-revolution religious freedom opened
  opportunities for more Protestantisms

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Common Beliefs

• Jesus Christ 1st c. messianic leader in
  Palestine, son of God, sent to earth to sacrifice
  self for sake of humans
• Belief in Jesus divinity resurrection into
  eternal life in heaven
• Holy Spirit power to communicate divine favor
  energy to believers
• Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit
• Satan fallen angel, rules Hell, tempts humans
  to sin

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Common Beliefs cont.

• Lifes task achieve salvation by believing in
  Christs divinity forgiveness
• No confession or clerical celibacy (not in
  scriptures)
• Bible revealed word of God
• Old Testament Jewish holy scriptures
• New Testament accounts of Jesus life, letters,
  histories from early followers
• Studying scriptures is essential to religious
  devotion

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Characteristics themes

• No single theology, church organization, ritual
• Over 17,000 denominations worldwide, millions of
  followers
• Individual faith personal experience are most
  important
• Salvation achieved personal faith awareness
  of Jesus benevolence

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Pentecostal Revival

• Early 1900s US, Scandinavia, W. EU, E. EU
• Mid-1900s worldwide continues to be fastest
  spreading form of Christianity
• Syncretic churches emerged in nonwestern
  socieities (eg. Aladura churches in Nigeria)
• Trance, possession, healing by Holy Spirit
  compatible with indigenous systems of belief

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Protestant denominations

• Baptists
• Methodists
• Pentecostalists
• Amish
• Mennonites
• Hutterites
• Episcopalians
• Presbyterians
• Congregationalists
• Unitarians
• Fundamentalists
• Mormons
• Christian science

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Anthropological Studies

• Tshidi Methodists in South Africa
• (Jean Comaroff)
• religion offered forum for symbolic statements of
  dissent
• Falwellian Fundamentalism in US politics
• (Susan Harding)
• Fundamentalist language draws people in
  jeremiads laments spiritual condition of
  world, disastrous reckoning to come, call for
  profound transformation of society
• Enemy is secular humanism
• Unfaithful are excluded

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Anthropological Studies cont.

• Colombian Pentecostalists gender roles
  (Elizabeth Brusco)
• Prohibits drinking, gambling, infidelity
  (improves womens standard of living)
• Condemns violence, pride, self-indulgence
  (anti-machismo)
• Women men shared value system
• Danish Protestants community
• (Andrew Buckser)
• Changes in religious groups directly related to
  how people think about community
• Why are Prostestant churches losing popularity in
  Germany, England, Denmark?

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