ABSTRACT

Though the people of Burma, now called Myanmar, are formally Buddhist, their folk religion a type of animism or supernaturalism is so unlike classical Buddhism that it seems contradictory. For years scholars of religion and anthropology have debated the questions: Do these folk beliefs make up a separate religious system? Or is there a subtle merging of supernaturalism and Buddhism, a kind of syncretism? In either case, how exactly does folk religion fit into the overall religious pattern? Melford Spiro's Burmese Supernaturalism has been one of the major works in this debate, both for its position on the "two religions" question and for its arguments concerning the psychological basis of religion.

The book begins with an introduction to the study of supernaturalism. The next section of the work covers various types of supernaturalism, including witches, ghost, and demons. Other areas of discussion include supernaturally caused illness and its treatment, the shaman, the exorcist, and the relationship between supernaturalism and Buddhism.

In the introduction to this expanded edition Spiro further develops the underlying logic of his argument and evaluates the most recent contributions to the field of the anthropology of religion. Burmese Supernaturalism is an intriguing study and will provide insightful reading for anthropologists, sociologists, theologians, as well as those interested in supernaturalism in Burma (Myanmar) and other cultures.

part I|19 pages

Introduction

chapter One|18 pages

The Study of Supernaturalism

part II|70 pages

The Types of Supernaturalism

chapter Two|12 pages

Witches

chapter Three|7 pages

Ghosts and Demons

chapter Four|24 pages

Nats

chapter Five|26 pages

Supernaturalism: Some Explanations

part III|53 pages

The Thirty-Seven Nats

chapter Six|17 pages

The Thirty-Seven Nats A Typology

chapter Seven|18 pages

Thirty-Seven Nats: The Public Cultus

chapter Eight|17 pages

The Thirty-Seven Nats: Some Explanations

part IV|61 pages

Illness and Supernaturalism

chapter Nine|13 pages

Supernaturally Caused Illness and Its Treatment

chapter Ten|17 pages

Possession

chapter Eleven|30 pages

The Exorcistic Seance

part V|42 pages

Supernatural Practitioners

chapter Twelve|25 pages

The Shaman

chapter Thirteen|16 pages

The Exorcist

part VI|35 pages

Conclusion

chapter Fourteen|34 pages

Supernaturalism and Buddhism