April 5 Notes

April 5 Notes

Joyce Choi

- Vernacular Christianity -> vernacular: common dialect

- we learn through dialects, through living, through family

- community -> vernaculars

- not easy to learn

- insider vs. outsider

- Leonard Primiano defines vernacular religion as “religion as it is lived: as human beings encounter, understand and interpret it.”

- caste neighborhoods are worshipping at their particular vernacular worship site

- the religion of particular authorities are also vernacular religions

- each caste has its own practices and language which makes them distinct

- People can have their own vernacular regions but practice it differently except commonality - same beliefs

Tamil Saints

- saints die a good death

- God = Catholic state in India: Francis Xavier and Portuguese missionize there

- lack of materialism

- lack of attachment

- detachment from social roles

- lower castes can touch the dead body without worry of pollution

- Saints (large S)

- associating the good with the bad makes this person more saintly

Functions of saints

- saints also remove impurities

- they can also help with healing

- intercessors -> mediator

- some of these saints demand worship

- call you to worship

- offerings that are given in anticipation of something good, or in devotion, or in thanks (exvotos)

- not entirely good (distinguishes Tamil vernacular saints from european saints)

- saints -> refers to anyone who’s faithful in Christian traditions, goes back to New Testament, from the latin word sanctus (set apartness) which is the latin translation for the greek word hagios

- saints must now be involved in two or more miracles after death, by way of intercession

- Padre Pio (1887-1968) - stigmata (wounds of Jesus), people saw him as a model of suffering, always ill, canonized in 2002, hesitant because of controversy surrounding possibility of faking his wounds, suffering was still devoted to divine, was easily able to convert and heal people

- Virgin Mary’s “house” becomes a shrine by popular devotion

- people from all different religions leave prayers for Mary

- saints are often depicted with instrument of martyrdom or symbol of martyrdom

- when a saint heals you, you give something in return

- similar functions of saints among vernacular, european, Catholic traditions