Materiality and Immateriality in Amazonian Indigenous Christianities

Research summary

Through a case study – the Yine of Peruvian Amazonia – the research aims both at generating understanding of the relationship between materiality and immateriality in contemporary indigenous Amazonian Christianities, and at providing tools for future comparative study of these Christianities.

Description

The research explores contemporary Amazonian indigenous Christianities through one ethnographic case, the Yine people of Peru. Since the study of everyday lived Christianities in Amazonia has thus far been largely neglected by research, the present project will be seminal in this respect. The objective of the research is first, to generate understanding of the relationship between materiality and immateriality in contemporary indigenous Amazonian Christianities and second, to provide tools for future comparative study of indigenous Christianities. Subsequently, the research intends to enhance the possibility of Amazonian contributions in the field of Anthropology of Christianity.

The main research question in the project – how can contemporary Yine Christianities be understood through the dynamics of materiality and immateriality? – will be examined through concentrating on this dynamic in relation to Yine rituals, beliefs, religious objects and the relationship between dogma and praxis. The two background contexts which are likely to influence Yine views of the materiality/immateriality of Christianity are Amazonian perspectivist epistemology and shamanist ontology.

Research info

Research title
Materiality and Immateriality in Amazonian Indigenous Christianities

Research timeline
1.9.2011 - 1.12.2014

Keywords
Amazonia beliefs Catholic Church Christianity Evangelical Church immateriality Indigenous peoples materiality religion Yine people

Region
Latin America

Countries
Finland, Peru

Institution
University of Turku

Head of research
Minna opas

Contact information
Minna Opas

Record last updated
10.12.2013