Perubahan Agama Minahasa dan Kekristenan dalam Konstruksi Perjumpaan Simbol Sakral pada Ritual di Watu Pinawetengan

This article aims to explore the conversion of Minahasa and Christianity religion through mutually constructed efforts carried out by the community of ritual practitioners in Watu Pinawetengan. This research focuses on the mutual change between Minahasa religion and Christianity in rituals through the construction of a symbolic encounter by the ritual-playing community at Watu Pinawetengan. For ritual practitioners, Watu Pinawetengan is a sacred place Tou Minahasa (Minahasa man) that is located in North Sulawesi Province, Minahasa Regency. Individuals in a community construct the meaning of each symbol, thus creating a paradigm of religion. Sacred symbols refer to the essence of a belief in religion, so it is crucial in describing the existence of a religion. The data is taken through the use of qualitative methods by conducting observations, interviews, library studies, and documentary studies. The findings of this study show that changes in sacred symbols in rituals have been constructed in Minahasa and Christian discourses, resulting in a mutual change in both religions. Change occurs dialectically and is strengthened by the legitimacy of the ancestral spirit.AbstrakArtikel ini bertujuan untuk menggali perubahan agama Minahasa dan Kristen melalui upaya saling mengonstruksi yang dilakukan oleh komunitas pelaku ritual di Watu Pinawetengan. Fokus penelitian pada perubahan bersama, antara agama Minahasa dan Kristen dalam ritual melalui konstruksi perjumpaan simbol oleh komunitas pelaku ritual di Watu Pinawetengan. Bagi pelaku ritual, Watu Pinawetengan merupakan tempat sakral Tou Minahasa (manusia Minahasa) yang berada di Provinsi Sulawesi Utara, Kabupaten Minahasa. Individu-individu dalam komunitas mengonstruksi makna dari setiap simbol sehingga menciptakan paradigma fundamen tentang agama. Simbol sakral merujuk pada esensi dari suatu kepercayaan dalam agama, sehingga bersifat krusial dalam menggambarkan eksistensi suatu agama. Data diambil melalui penggunaan metode kualitatif dengan melakukan observasi, wawancara, studi pustaka, dan studi dokumenter. Temuan dari studi ini memperlihatkan perubahan simbol sakral dalam ritual telah dikonstruksi dalam diskursus agama Minahasa dan Kristen, sehingga mengakibatkan perubahan bersama pada kedua agama tersebut. Perubahan terjadi secara dialektis dan diperkuat dengan legitimasi roh leluhur.

Synagogue as Infrastructure in Everyday Life of Batumi Jewish Community

The subject under scrutiny is Sephardic and Ashkenazi synagogues in Batumi (the Black Sea Region of Georgia) that reveal both universal and culturally specific forms. The paper is based on ethnographic data gathered during fieldwork in Batumi, in 2019, and on the theoretical postulates of anthropology of infrastructure. The article argues that the Batumi synagogues could be viewed and understood as ‘infrastructure’ in their own right, as they serve as objects through which other objects, people, and ideas operate and function as a system. The paper attempts to demonstrate how the sacred edifices change their trajectory according to modern conditions and how the sacred place is inserted and coexists inside a network of touristic infrastructure.

Shrine Politics and Non-Institutional Religiosity

The Mrtvalj spring is an integral part of a more complex sacred landscape, the center of which is the Shrine of St. John the Baptist located in Podmilačje near Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The shrine is a multi-confessional pilgrimage destination that is also very popular within the wider region. The Mrtvalj spring is one of the key stops in pilgrimage itineraries, but it is not only a sacred place within pilgrimage practices. In this paper the conceptualization of the Mrtvalj spring’s sacredness is examined as a reflection of the relationship between the religious and the political. The author analyzes the relationship between the shrine’s politics, which are based on the ideas of a “Bosnian Lourdes” and a shared shrine, and the spring as a focal point for the shared non-institutional practices of believers of various religious affiliations. She aims to show that a shared sacred site does not necessarily have to be controversial, and calls for a revalorization of non-institutional religiosity, which has proved to be a rich phenomenon for the study of interreligious relations

The Passion Cycle in the Sanctuaries of the Saxon Fortified Churches in Southern Transylvania

"This paper aims to reconstitute the pictorial program of some medieval Saxon churches’ sanctuaries, which are Mălâncrav, Curciu, Râşnov and Sibiu, with particular interest on the images regarding the Passion Cycle. The article will try to bring a stylistic and iconographic analysis of the Passion Cycle in the sanctuary, episodes that usually appear on the northern choir wall. Therefore, we aim to highlight the reasons why this Passion narrative was chosen to decorate this part of the sanctuary and what was its role both regarding the place that it occupies, that is near the most sacred place of the church, and also the role it had in the religious services. Given the complexity of the narrative programs and the strong link with the biblical texts, the paintings have a double role, both educational and devotional. Keywords: Passion Cycles, mural painting, fortified churches, iconography "

Re-writing Old Testament legends in La Queste del Saint Graal

In this paper, I intend to present the way in which the Biblical stories and medieval legends are re-written in the episode of the Miraculous Ship in La Queste del Saint Graal, and to identify several characteristics of this vessel, considered ideal for the questers’ preparation for the ecstatic life in the presence of the Grail. The multi-layered symbolism of this miraculous self-moving ship is constantly enriched with new connotations, and from being a sacred place that offers the successful knights the opportunity to meditate on their spiritual life before reaching Sarras and the Holy Grail, it may also be regarded as a connector between the Old-Testament legends, Christian traditions and Arthurian lore. In addition, the focus of the story shifts from Arthurian adventures to the creation of a story of origin and Galahad is presented not only as the quintessential Arthurian knight, but also the rightful heir of mythical ancestors. More importantly, analysing the way in which some medieval texts are recycled in this fragment, the reader is astonished to find a very progressive re-writing of the well-known literary tradition, as it reveals a very appreciative portrayal of women’s agency and a tolerant attitude towards Jews (represented by Solomon). Both these aspects differ not only from the biblical perspective or dogmatic theories, but also from other 13th-century legends. Moreover, this inclusive approach to non-Christians is unique in the economy of La Queste.

Reconstructing Sacred Geographies

The chapter begins with a reflection on historical notions of sacred place and how senses of sacred place are perceived and understood. Pilgrimage networks are constructed from memories of sacred places and ritualized in relationship to holy people or events. In medieval Norway, the notion of sacred landscape emerged as an interweaving of Norse and Christian elements. This sacred geography was transformed by the development of modern energy forms, transportation, and infrastructure projects made possible in part through Norway’s petroleum wealth. Even so, the pilgrimage network sought to re-establish a route network from forgotten and reimagined paths, which slowly was pieced together from the 1960s onward. The chapter ends by asking how notions of landscape, interspecies relationships, and political theologies have reconstructed notions of sacred place, sainthood, and landscape in a secularizing, increasingly multiethnic and multireligious Norway.

Symbolic meanings of Holy Temple in Cao Dai Tay Ninh Holy See

Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do [The Great Way of The Third Amnesty Era] (shortly Caodaism) is an indigenous religion established in southern Vietnam in the early 20th century. Being one of the new religions in the region, Caodaism has been constantly developing and attracting quite a great number of followers of over three million. The doctrine of Caodaism is a synthesis of the Three Religions, e.g. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism together with elements from some other religions. The doctrine is not only shown in scriptures, religious structure, but also expressed through symbols in architecture, rituals and costumes. To a certain extent, it is thus essential to understand the symbolism of the Holy Temple – the most important one of the symbolism system so that we can fully comprehend Caodaism. The Temple is the most solemn and sacred place in Cao Dai Tay Ninh Holy See. It carries both philosophical and esoteric meanings as an emblem of cultural syncretism. The study of the Holy Temple symbol will elaborate further Caodaist doctrines in a relationship with the cultural context of the Southern region.