The Soul Journey:
How Shamanism, Santer a, Wicca, and Charisma
are Connected
All rights reserved
Copyright 2014 by Kent A. Philpott
Published 2014 by
Earthen Vessel Publishing
San Rafael, CA 94903
www.evpbooks.com
Interior Book Design and Layout by
Katie L. C. Philpott
Cover Image by Carl Laur
ISBN: 978-0-9703296-1-5 (print version)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014909241
ISBN: 978-0-9898041-0-3 (ebook version)
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information retrieval system, without the written permission of the author or publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, internet site, or broadcast.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publisher s. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
N early three years in process means that a group of people have been directly involved in seeing the book come together:
Thanks to Chuck Munson, Michelle Shelfer, and Stephanie Adams for their eagle proof-reading eyes. Thanks to Christina Milner-Rose for classroom feedback and the Foreword. Thanks to Richard Haskell for first bringing the subject of Santera to our attention, which then led to further connections.
Thanks to Roxana Aviles of El Salvador for working on the Spanish version so it reads properly, and due to the multi-cultured nature of the various religious groups involved, this is not a simple project. The same is true for Heirie Murakami for her preparation of the Portuguese language work and for contributing her experience and knowledge of Santera as experienced in Brazil as Candombl. Likewise, Sika Amados for a French translation using knowledge of animistic African religious influence in her native country of Togo in West Africa.
Carl Laur created the cover image.
Contact him: life@carlwlaur.com
A s an anthropology professor teaching comparative religion, I would list this book as a recommended text, as Kent Philpott has been a guest lecturer in my classes. His perspective is comparative like an anthropologist, yet, despite his evangelical Christian mission, he rejects certain views and behaviors of his more demonstrative and trendy Christian brethren.
In the Philpotts comparative study of sects noted for high energy ecstatic states, they present the connection of monotheistic world religions with shamanism, a primitive and polytheistic category. The Philpotts argue that the pursuit of altered states of consciousness and trance in any religious category invites demonic possession. While the removal of demons is something Jesus and his disciples did regularly in healing the sick, shamanism claims to do the same. The Philpotts book carefully delineates the difference between what Jesus did and what shamans do, and they urge charismatic sects within Christianity to stop using the shamanistic techniques of trance and altered states to attract adherents.
The focus here is on the deception that any highly agitated nervous system can cause in the consciousness of a human being, whatever their allegiance, including Christian. The Philpotts targeted altered states of consciousness is a topic with a long history in religious studies. Lighting, music, repetitive rhythms and chants, drugs, incense, vestments, dance, pain or discomfort, stress through fasting or sleep deprivation, isolation or immersion in crowds, arduous pilgrimages, etc., have all been devices to facilitate religious experience in the participant. These devices and other rituals, including the apparent healing of the body or mind, getting out of the body and into transcendence, and communing with the spirits or gods, have experiential power to persuade seekers of the truth of the religion.
Kent Philpott is a Christian minister for whom the truth of religion is important. His evangelical mission is necessarily exclusive, not inclusive, meaning he doesnt believe that all paths lead to the same God. Even within Christianity he opposes some sects as potentially harmful to the Christian gospel message and to the practitioner. While that is the thesis of the book, descriptive accounts of each of the religions are analyzed from a unique perspective.
Aware of the inroads that primitive and new pseudo-primitive religions like Wicca have made into the urban landscape, Philpott opposes them as deceptive in their practices and claims. The new old religions, like Santera, sanitized of sacrificing chickens or other animals, can appeal to a contemporary society weary of technology and looking to put their money and devotion into something more earthy, participatory, mysterious, and ancient. He warns against the rising popularity and addictive aspects of these polytheistic belief systems and also against the new revealed truths and practices of established monotheistic Christianity because of the similarities he points out.
Specifically, Philpott warns all to avoid undercover shamanism invading modern culture and even Christianity, and for a specific reason. He demonstrates how the doorway to demonic invasion is unlocked via the trance states found in such religious activities. The features they have in common are cogently presented and clear. He more generally warns against psychological entrapment by techniques that have a long history of co-opting wishful thinking and resulting in enslavement to a cult.
The youth in my classes would do well to read it and be armed.
Christina Milner-Rose Ph.D.
I t all began with a study of Santera, which had been prompted by an inquiry from a woman who wanted help in discouraging her son from going to Cuba for initiation into that religion. Neither of us had ever heard of Santera, but saw very quickly that it was a religion built around magic, fortune telling, and mediums. After further research, we realized it was based on something far more primitive: animism and the system of spiritualistic religion commonly referred to as shamanism.
Santera is a major world religion that likely originated in West Africa among the Yoruba tribe. It initially took root in Latin America via the sixteenth century slave trade and has been making its appearance in North America during the last century. Our study of Santera also led us to Wicca (loosely known as the religion of witches), of which we had been only minimally aware. Internet searches for details on Santera and Wicca stunned us. In one book after the other we slowly unwrapped the central aspects of these growing religious world views.
One might think that these religions were very different from one another; however, the connections were obvious. More than one writer identified the connecting dots: what they have in common is the tr ance state or altered state of consciousness .
