Danzas de alabanza (Praise dances): Pentecostal ritual or shamanic resurgence?

Indigenous Churches: Anthropology of Christianity in Lowland South America

Palgrave McMillan

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2022;

In this chapter, we will focus on aspects of ritual life in the worship services of Qom Pentecostal churches from the Argentine Chaco. We will delve into how Qom shamanism is expressed at these ceremonies. First, we will focus on two terms that are central to Qom ontology, those of ?soul? and ?heart?, to analyse how the notion of ?person? (understood as the focal point of relationships) might have changed with the introduction of evangelism. Second, we will explore the ritual context of ?praise movements? (movimientos de alabanza), in which shamanic practices are integrated with those of pastors, dancistas (dance performers) and parishioners. By drawing on the linguistic dimension of native concepts and examining ritual life, we will be able to reflect on the ambiguities experienced by devotees in their continuing adherence to evangelism: whereas a believer would be guaranteed protection against shamanic forces in the early stages of evangelism in the Chaco, worship services have since become a privileged locus of shamanic practice.