Symbols in Ndembu Ritual

THe most interesting part of I found in Turner’s essay was the part about the duality of ritual in symbols.  When we look at symbols in religion, there is something special about them.  We can look at a table, and see a table, but the altar in a church is different, even though physically it is the same.  A cabinet is just a cabinet but the Tabernacle is something that commands a certain amount of respect and praise. 

He goes a bit into the psychology, but then generalizes stating that symbols really have two effects on people, one that has to do with emotional response, and a simpler physical response.  When Christians see the cross, they see it as a representation of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of all humanity.  While that is just the physical response, there is also the emotion that is evoked from this symbol of the Christan faith.  He also states (acurately in regards to the example here) that the dominant symbol of the given faith, serves as the focal point of the ritual.

After reading this I got to thinking about the orgins of symbol in different religious practices.  I also remembered that one of the doctrines in the early history of Christianity was God telling Abraham that there should be no symbols (idols) because they detracted worship from the true God; that people were worshipping the idol itself instead of the actual force, God.  Yet in Catholic mass, the priest bows before the altar, kisses it, raises the Eucharist up to the cross, and is the only person that can give himself communion.

I had never really thought about the emotional aspect of symbols.  I had always thought that there was more than programmed response, and that there was a spiritual reaction, and perhaps that was where my own thoughts were a little fuzzy.  I think that there is a difference between spiritual and emotional reactions, but I’m not sure what that is.  I also thought that reaction gleaned from a symbol of ritual was really one feeling; like a hybrid, and didn’t really consider the dualistic quality of those symbols.

~ by nebuchadnezzar85 on April 14, 2008.