Why the Sponsorship of Korean Shamanic Healing Rituals is Best Explained by the Clients’ Ostensible Reasons
European Journal for Philosophy of Religion February 17, 2021 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.24204/ejpr.v9i3.1852
Summary
Korean clients engage in shamanic healing rituals primarily to heal their loved ones, driven by their belief in the effectiveness of these rituals. The study critiques the notion that the main function of these rituals is merely to change participants' feelings, suggesting instead that clients' motivations and beliefs are key factors in sponsoring such rituals. This argument is supported by examples from two specific Korean shamanic healing rituals.
Study at a glance
| Population | Korean clients participating in shamanic healing rituals |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Clients sponsor Korean shamanic healing rituals because they believe in their potential to heal loved ones. |
Abstract
Various scholars have suggested that the main function of Korean shamanic rituals is the change of the participants’ feelings. I elaborate what these scholars potentially mean by “function”, challenge what I take to be their core claim, and argue that at least in the case of Korean shamanic healing rituals their sponsorship has rather to be explained based on the clients’ ostensible motivational and belief-states. Korean clients sponsor such rituals because they want their beloved ones to be healed and because they believe that the shamanic ritual can potentially accomplish such healing. I underpin this thesis by two representative actual Korean shamanic healing rituals.