Modern angelsTerhi Utriainen

University of Helsinki, Study of Religions

PCCC bo Akademi University (2010-2015)

Project, approach, materials

Why to study modern angel religion in PCCR? Examples (cases) of something that happens in the present religious field

Female dominated everyday religion?

How to study angel religion? Ethnographic approach: interviews, observations in a variety of angel-related

events, questionnaire & other documents

Data

1) interviews with contemporary Finnish people (mostly women) who communicate with angels in different ways

2) participatory observation during an angel-therapy training course & other events (such as angel-evenings)

3) questionnaire distributed at the promotion visit by the Irish writer and angel-seer Lorna Byrne in Helsinki (N263; 94 % women)

4) literature and cultural artifacts; media-material

Believes seriously 21,2 %

Considers probable 24.9 %

In the U.S. 60 %

Angels traditional Christian figures+

Interest in angels is growing in Western countries

Google: angel: 1.290.000.000 God 1.650.000.000 Jesus 955.000.000

How many Finns believe in angels?

Modern angel belief (angel practice / interest in angels):

Syncretistic: Lutheran - - - Esoteric (varies from person to person)

Lived religion, vernacular religion

Contemporary folk religion

Research in U.S., U.K., Norway, Estonia, Hungary

examples...

Drape, Scott and Joseph Barker, 2010. Angelic Belief as American Folk Religion. Sociological Forum 26: 623643.

Gardella, Peter, 2007. American Angels: Useful Spirits in the Material World. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas.

Gilhus, Ingvild Slid, 2012. Angels in Norway: Religious border-crossers and border-markers. In: Marion Bowman and lo Valk(eds.), Vernacular Religion in Everyday Life: Expressions of Belief . Sheffield: Equinox, 230245.

Kish-Halas, Judith 2012: I make my Saints Work: A Hungarian Holy Healers Identity Reflected in Autobiographical Sotires and Folk Narratives. In: Marion Bowman and lo Valk (eds.), Vernacular Religion in Everyday Life: Expressions of Belief . Sheffield: Equinox, 61-92.

Uibu, Marko, 2013. Creating Meanings and Supportive Networks on the Spiritual Internet Forum The Nest of Angels. Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics 6: 6986.

Utriainen, Terhi, 2013a. Doing Things with Angels: Agency, Alterity and Practices of Enchantment. In: Steven J. Suttcliffe and IngvildSlid Gilhus (eds), New age spirituality: Rethinking religion. Durham: Acumen publishing, 242255.

Utriainen, Terhi, 2013b. Uskontotaidetta ja enkelinsiipi: kaksi tapausta suomalaisissa naistenlehdiss. Media & Viestint 2: 4052.

Utriainen, Terhi, 2014a. Angels, Agency and Emotions: Global Religion for Women in Finland? In: Terhi Utriainen and PiviSalmesvuori (eds.), Finnish women making religion: Between ancestors and angels. Palgrave McMillan, 237254.

Walter, Tony. The Dead who Become Angels: Bereavement and Vernacular Religion. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying. (Forthcoming.)

What do you seek and find in this kind of event?

Henkist kasvua ja kehityst, evit elmn, suunnan tai tarkoituksen lytmist, ohjausta jaopastusta (elmss, henkiselle tielle), itsen ja omien tunteiden tuntemusta, valoa, voimaa, uskon vahvistusta, uskoa ja luottamusta (hyvn, siihen ett elm kantaa, tulevaisuuteen), apua, hoitoa, helpotusta tai parannusta (kipuun, fyysisiin ja psyykkisiin vaivoihin, elmn vaivoihin ja tilanteisiin, ongelmien ratkaisemiseen, asioiden ymmrtmiseen, arjen ongelmiin, stressiin, ahdistukseen, masennukseen, kriiseihin, httilanteisiin, onnettomiin sattumuksiin, suruun, olen ollut rikki), tukea ja vahvistusta (vaikeissa elmntilanteissa ja epselvien asioiden ratkaisemisessa, omille ratkaisuille, oikean tien valinnalle), neuvoja, ohjeita, terveytt, hyvinvointia ja hyv oloa, parempaa oloa, hyv mielt, ihanaa oloa, mahtavaa oloa, selvyyttajatuksiin ja elmn (ja siihen ett kuljen oikeaa tiet), (mielen)rauhaa, tasapainoa, lohtua, tietoa ja ymmrryst (ihmiskunnan vaiheista, ihmisest, sielusta, nkymttmst todellisuudesta, Jumalasta, itsest ja muista, menneest ja tulevasta), rakkautta, lmp, lohtua, yhteisllisyytt, toivoa, iloa, onnellisuutta, uteliaisuutta, nkemyst, inspiraatiota, kokemuksia, sielulle ravintoa, sislt elmn, stressin hallintaa, hetken helpotusta, rohkeutta, turvaa, vastauksia, mielenkiintoisia nkemyksi, rentoutumista, piristyst, tyydytyst uteliaisuudelle, jaksamisen keinoja, energiaa, varmuutta, vahvuutta, muutosta, oppia, ykseyden kokemusta, vapauttavaa oloa, yhteytt henkimaailmaan, Jumalaan, omaan sisimpn, selvnkisyytt, etukteistietoa, en mitn

Interviews:

Four or three.. years ago I suffered from severe depression and was taken to hospital. It was in fact very soon after that that I painted these angels.

Very, very big challenges, yes, yes. [T: Yes.] So that () without the help of angels I wouldnt ever have been able to bear it. But they gave me some extra strength so that [T: Mm.] in a way I felt that I always went from one stage to another

I do everything with them. It is not like I wouldnt have angels and God present: they are her all the time.

Angel rituals

Meditations

Visitations

Magic, talismans

Oracle cards

Photographing (orbs)

Healing

What do people receive from angels?

Support in the everyday: coping, help with making choices

Healing moments, wellbeing

Spiritual growth, inspirations

Joy

Angels as divine energy & companions

power, sense of agency

not alone

Bridges the ideal of individual choice with the idea of guidance; ones own destiny

Everyday support + enchantment (extraordinary)

The gender issue

Over 90% women: white Finns, mostly 40+, many professional backgrounds C.f. Appr. 80 % women in alternative/holistic spirituality (Trzebiatowska & Bruce 2012)

Most of them church members but struggle with it c.f. in the U.S. lower social classes and minorities

Also big international names are women Doreen Virtue, Diane Cooper, Maria Zavoe, Mrta Luise, Lorna Byrne

Emphasis of relational issues, emotions & emotion work culturally traditionally female responsibilities?

Religion of care-givers? (c.f. traditional guardian angel figure)

Angel aesthetic? Interesting material aspect: Commerciality? Habitus? Interpellation?

After vicarious religion?

Not consegrated but insignated angels (still: tradition matters) Material and multi-sensorial (more than words)

Learning small rituals Not simply individualistic!

Both serious and playful Coping religion (Stringer 2008) & enchantment

Sensitivity to context (angels sometimes real, other times metaphors) Capital for navitating in the complex contexts of a (post)secular world?

Angel visitation

Tradition?Annunciation of Mary

Woman receiver of the experience

Tradition as recervoir or allowance

Creative imagination

Need to look at transforming Christianities?

Biallecki, Haynes & Robbins (2008): transforming and pluralizingChristianities

Interfaces both with secular cultures and other religions

Complex links with economic and demographic changes, plurality, popular culture, etc.

What did we talk about when we discussed angels?

Christian / Lutheran theology & tradition

Official, institutional religion (and some of its problems)

Social structures and processes in the secular society; changes (instability)

Income and insecurity

Everyday life & individual responsibility

Health and well-being issues

Knowledge and imagination

Relation to Lutheranism in Finland?

New-agization of Christianity / Christianization of New-Age?

Alternative?

Complementary?

Complementary and alternative religion? (CAR?; c.f. CAM)