“Christian Animism” as a theoretical construct and religious practice

Abstract

The formation of “Christian Animism” as a theoretical construct given the context of the updated academic interest in the archaic forms of religion is described. It is noted, that over the past two decades, the old concept of animism revived and obtained a new meaning. The scientific literature used to project animism as a simple primitive form of religion and unsuccessful ontology, yet recently, the term has been reconsidered in terms of modern science. In the “New Animism” project, scholars have deprived this term of outdated evolutionary shades. The new theory of animism understanding advocates for a new ontology, an alternative to naturalism that has dominated Western European science since positivism. The concept of animism has gone beyond disciplinary ideas about anthropology or the form of religion. It is now widely used as an ontological model and a critical concept in the humanities and social sciences. An overview of an adapted understanding of animism in the context of Christian theology that fundamentally differs from the classical sense of animism in Christian teaching is made. The critical view of theoreticians of “Christian Animism”, which implies a fundamental incontinence between objective nature and subjective culture is considered. It is stated that according to the work of those theorists, the concept of “Christian Animism” denotes the intersubjective and personalized universe that dissolves the distinction between man and nature. In the animistic realm, everything, including animals and plants, creatures and things, can become a conscious entity and be called a person having their own desires, intentions, and freedom of will. Additionally, the relationship between the development and practical implementation of the idea of “Christian Animism” within the framework of concepts related to the study of religion and nature interaction and spirituality of the indigenous peoples of North America is traced. Keywords: Christian Animism, New Animism, ecology, nature, indigenous peoples