Description
Book SynopsisMany voices clamor to be heard in debates about whether shamans cure, and whether shamanic spirituality is worth continuing or recovering in the twenty-first century. This book provides newinsights into the fascinating resurgence of shamanism through an exploration of the politicalrepression of religion and its transcendence
Trade Review"Balzer, one of the first western-trained scholars to undertake ethnographic fieldwork in Siberia, is uniquely positioned to write this book. Here she argues that far from fading away, shamanism is being revitalized in Central and Far Eastern Russia following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. One of the many strengths of this volume is the elegant way she positions her analysis in both Russian and Euro-American anthropological theories." - Julie Cruikshank, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, University of British Columbia"A remarkably sensitive collection of essays spanning three decades of research. The breadth and depth of shamanic practice from across the north Asian landscape comes into vivid focus." - Bruce Grant, Associate Professor of Anthropology, New York University
Table of ContentsSpirits Under Siege Doctors or Deceivers? Sacred Genders Poetics of Sacred Language Through Time and Space Flights of the Sacred: Birds, Trees and Open Body-Mindedness Two Urban Shamans: Unmasking Leadership Social Medicine? Religious Movements in Siberia Sustainable Faith? Multiple generations of healing and spirituality Sacred Trust: Doing Fieldwork in Siberia
