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Tatiana Bužeková: "Rituals in Alternative Spirituality: Collective and Solitary Practice"
The interest in magic, religion, and spirituality which has risen since the second half of the twentieth century has been variously described as “the re-enchantment of the world”, “return to religion”, “new religiosity” or “new spirituality”. These expressions can refer to (1) increasing indicators of religiosity within established churches; and (2) emergence of new religious movements and alternative beliefs as well as growing numbers of those who identify with spirituality but not with a religion. The latter category can be named by a loose term “alternative spirituality”, as contemporary spiritual currents always present an alternative to long established religions – either strongly (explicitly dissenting) or weakly (they are merely variant or optional). Alternativeness is manifested in diversity of spiritual practice: it can draw on various traditions, include innovations, and does not need to be collective. Social scientists have long noticed that collective rituals serve to bind groups together; and this argument has been supported by recent research in evolutionary anthropology. At the same time, evolutionary studies point to the link between ritualized behaviour and a specific cognitive system dealing with potential danger (hazard-precaution system), which can explain individual performance. In the context of alternative spirituality ritualized behaviour range from solitary rituals to strongly prescribed group rituals. Individual and collective performance can be combined: one can choose to practice in privacy, without the need to participate in a group; but it is not uncommon for solitaries to participate in communal activities. In my paper, I will consider different levels of solitary and collective performance in relation to varied levels of social control within groups of practitioners. I will use the theoretical tools of Mary Doulas’ cultural theory and argue that Douglas’ argument about correlation between cosmological beliefs and concrete forms of social life is compatible with evolutionary explanations of ritualized behaviour. It can be applied in the context of alternative spirituality by comparison of selected alternative communities.
Danijela Jerotijević: "Bonding: Emotions and Narratives in Alternative Spirituality"
The focus of this presentation are collective spiritual activities among urban population in Slovakia. Alternative spiritual gatherings that have been focus of this research are characterized by rituals, dance, shared narratives, and may be charged with different kind of emotions. Here, I will elaborate the idea how bonding is established and why the group is important in alternative spirituality even though it stresses an individual and their experience rather that collectiveness. The presentation will be partially based on up-to-date research, but further lines of the research will be also explored. Previous research has documented that religious rituals increase social bonding and solidarity, however, much less is known about the ritualized activities in alternative spiritual groups. Spiritual ritualized activities can transform individual experience and emotions into collective ones through "emotional contagion/mimicry" (Gelder, 2009; Hess et al., 2014); while shared narratives can influence the "post-sacralization" (Martos, et al. 2011) of individual experience and give it deeper meaning. I argue that thus anchored, shared experiences contribute to a sense of belonging, which in turn has a positive impact on overall well-being.
Nadja Furlan Štante: "Spiritual Ecology and Ecologically Affirming Rituals of Contemporary Pegan Worshipers (Nature Worship of Primorska)"
Ecotheologists and ecofeminists strive for planetary solidarity that requires a larger framework than rights, justice, and equitable sharing of resources, and they seek new models of ecotheologies that go beyond anthropocentric androcentrism. Methodologically,presentation follows the ecofeminist thesis that the exploitation of the earth (ecological crisis) is closely linked to the marginalisation, exploitation, and abuse of women. From this perspective, it brings together the perceptions and critical views of Nature Worship community in Primorska (and beyond) and the significance of their examples of good practises and ecologically affirming spiritualities for building a sustainable future.
What was (is) the role and significance of women in the Nature Worshipers' community and its rituals compared to the position of women in the Christian (Roman Catholic) majority in the present from the perspective of spiritual eco-feminism and postcolonial feminist studies? How might the biocentric tradition of Nature Worshipers impact the Slovenian/Western anthropocentrism prevalent today? To what extent might the revival of Nature Worship represent a realistic alternative and good practise in the current environmental crisis of our society? What symbols of Nature Worship can be usefully translated into contemporary ecology? How have the symbols and ideology of Nature Worship been subverted in contemporary (neo-pagan) interpretations of Nature Worship?
Saida Sirazhudinova: "Women's Religious Rituals in the Context of Identity of Caucasian Muslims"
Women's religious rituals are closely related to identity, the transmission of religion in the family, and socialization. There are several types of religious rituals that allow a woman to join the religion and the community in the North Caucasus. Some rituals confirm the female role in religious socialisation. Some rituals are closely related to domestic violence enshrined in tradition. In this paper, on the example of the results of qualitative and quantitative research, the dynamics and transformation of women's rituals are considered, their modern features are revealed, their significance for women and for society is shown. The study showed that the non-public and practical role of rituals and traditions in the daily life of women is more pronounced, and it is more protected by society and aimed at preserving identity.
Marjeta Pisk: "The Transformative Power of Catholic Rituals in New Contexts"
Many rituals in the Catholic religion are intrinsically linked to community participation and some of them cannot be performed without the presence of a priest. The prohibition on association during the COVID19 pandemic made these rituals impossible to be performed. However, due to the popularity of certain rituals in Slovenia, notably the blessing of food on Holy Saturday and the blessing of greenery on Palm Sunday, the performing of this ritual was temporarily changed in some cases. For example, after the virtual blessing during the first lockdown, Martin Golob, a Roman Catholic priest of the younger generation, introduced the drive-in blessing in 2021, which was widely acclaimed by the public.
In this paper, we will therefore question the adaptive power of rituals to new contexts, as well as the cohesive power of rituals in the community. In doing so, we will take as our starting point the abovementioned case study, as well as the phenomenon of the creation of a big virtual community of strongly heterogeneous group of people around the aforementioned priest. We will explore not only the phenomenon of this internet influencer, "the most famous priest in Slovenia", but also practical implications for performing certain religious rituals during and after the pandemic.
Anja Mlakar: "Changing (Scholarly) Discourses About Paganism Through Time in Slovenia"
Throughout history, the term paganism (and related terms such as superstition) had different meanings. In this contribution, I will analyse these changes, primarily in (scholarly) discourses of Slovenian folklore collectors and scholars. The focus of this analysis will be what constituted “paganism” in the period between the 19th century and today and how it was perceived. What was perceived as “paganism” changed through time. These changing perceptions of the term reflect wider social and political discourses of the time, as well as the changing perceptions of religiosity itself. This also reflects in terminology that was used to describe these concepts. Paganism was defined based on being “the Other” to Christianity – even if the reality of religious expressions did not confirm this black-and-white dichotomy. The contribution will thus also touch upon a wider topic of vernacular religiosity, or rather the scholarly perceptions of beliefs and practices that did not align with the predominant Christianity, as well as the blurry line between folklore and religion.
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