Dynamics of the spirit possession phenomenon in Eastern Tanzania
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis January 16, 2019 Marja-Liisa Swantz 2 citations
Spirit possession is examined as an institutional form of religious experience that both shapes and is shaped by social and economic development. The study focuses on four ethnic groups in Eastern Tanzania undergoing forced villagisation, a government program moving people from scattered homesteads into larger villages. Spirit possession cults—loosely organized ritual groups without strict membership—are seen as creative responses to crises and conflicts imposed by changing social and economic relations. The analysis asks how specific religious practices relate to societal change, what social and religious contexts produce spirit possession, and whether possession serves to exert values and overcome upheaval. Institutionalization and deinstitutionalization of possession occur both within and outside established cults.