Do Religion and Culture Actually Exist? Ref lections on Jasna Góra

Mathew Schmalz

Published: 2018-06-29

Vol. 38 (2017)

Do Religion and Culture Actually Exist? Ref lections on Jasna Góra

Prof. Mathew Schmalz

Abstract

Focusing on displays of Catholic religion and Polish culture at Jasna Góra, this article argues that “religion” and “culture” as analytic categories lead to an oversimplification of the complex set of phenomena visible in the monastery complex. The article then references the work of American philosopher Donald Davidson to argue that any ethnographic study necessarily requires “radical interpretation”.

Keywords:

Jasna Góra, religion, Paul Tillich, Rudolf Otto, culture, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Donald Davidson, radical interpretation, Agnieszka Pasieka, Tomoko Masuzawa

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Schmalz, M. (2018). Do Religion and Culture Actually Exist? Ref lections on Jasna Góra. Ethnologia Polona, 38, 125–135. Retrieved from https://journals.iaepan.pl/ethp/article/view/47

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References

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Prof. Mathew Schmalz

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9621-6337

Affiliation:

Department of Religious Studies - College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, United States

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

PhD in history of religions; associate professor in CHC Worcester.