Danzas de alabanza (praise dances): Pentecostal ritual or shamanic resurgence?”,

FLORENCIA TOLA Y EMILIO ROBLEDO

Indigenous Churches: Anthropology of Christianity in Lowland South America

PELGRAVE

Lugar: LONDRES; Año: 2023; p. 1 - 22

In this chapter, we will focus on aspects of ritual life in the worship services of Qom Pentecostal churches from the Argentinean Chaco. We will delve into how Qom shamanism is expressed at these Christian ceremonies. First, we will focus on two terms that are central to Qom ontology, those of ‘soul’ and ‘heart’, to analyse how the notion of ‘person’ (understood as the focal point of relationships) might have changed with the introduction of evangelism. Second, we will explore the ritual context of movimientos de alabanza (praise movements), in which shamanic practices are integrated with those of pastors, dancistas (dance performers) and parishioners. Lastly, from cultural and linguistic aspects involved in native concepts and ritual life, we will reflect on the changes in the Christian experience of the Qom people: whereas a believer would be guaranteed protection against shamanic forces in the early stages of evangelism in the Chaco, worship services have since become a privileged loci of shamanic practice.NO RECIBI AUN EL EJEMPLAR PARA PODER ESCANEAR EL TEXTO