Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania
The present study deals with some changes identifiable on the level of folk religion, i.e., of the religious expression of ordinary people. Its premises are that folk religion is a subsegment of religion, fulfilling specific functions which official or elite religion fail to satisfy. The paper lies...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/10/991 |
| _version_ | 1827648092919300096 |
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| author | Alina Patru |
| author_facet | Alina Patru |
| author_sort | Alina Patru |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study deals with some changes identifiable on the level of folk religion, i.e., of the religious expression of ordinary people. Its premises are that folk religion is a subsegment of religion, fulfilling specific functions which official or elite religion fail to satisfy. The paper lies on a theoretical grounding stemming mainly from the Scandinavian school of comparative religion and folkloristics and applies these theories to examples from Romania. In this way, the specific functions of folk religion are analyzed, and the question is asked how these needs come to be met once people detach from the rural values. It is found that individuals which have lost their connection to traditions also head with their needs to cognitively lees costly religious forms, this time to global forms, which had become contents of the now enlarged pool of tradition. These contents are actualized in accordance with the concrete personal needs. In different forms of new spiritualities many characteristics of folk religion can be identified, moreover, they take similar roles. This demonstrates that folk religion has its own dynamism, transforming to reflect social and cultural change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:31:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-532942898cff427cbd60fb08b3f9f27c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:31:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-532942898cff427cbd60fb08b3f9f27c2023-11-24T02:18:06ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-10-01131099110.3390/rel13100991Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from RomaniaAlina Patru0Department of Orthodox Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, RomaniaThe present study deals with some changes identifiable on the level of folk religion, i.e., of the religious expression of ordinary people. Its premises are that folk religion is a subsegment of religion, fulfilling specific functions which official or elite religion fail to satisfy. The paper lies on a theoretical grounding stemming mainly from the Scandinavian school of comparative religion and folkloristics and applies these theories to examples from Romania. In this way, the specific functions of folk religion are analyzed, and the question is asked how these needs come to be met once people detach from the rural values. It is found that individuals which have lost their connection to traditions also head with their needs to cognitively lees costly religious forms, this time to global forms, which had become contents of the now enlarged pool of tradition. These contents are actualized in accordance with the concrete personal needs. In different forms of new spiritualities many characteristics of folk religion can be identified, moreover, they take similar roles. This demonstrates that folk religion has its own dynamism, transforming to reflect social and cultural change.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/10/991folk/popular/vernacular religionreligious changereligious transformationnew spiritualitiesNew Agecognitively optimal religion |
| spellingShingle | Alina Patru Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania Religions folk/popular/vernacular religion religious change religious transformation new spiritualities New Age cognitively optimal religion |
| title | Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania |
| title_full | Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania |
| title_fullStr | Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania |
| title_short | Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania |
| title_sort | folk religion in transformation a religious studies perspective based on examples from romania |
| topic | folk/popular/vernacular religion religious change religious transformation new spiritualities New Age cognitively optimal religion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/10/991 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alinapatru folkreligionintransformationareligiousstudiesperspectivebasedonexamplesfromromania |