Occultisme et protestantisme en Islande. Les tendances iconophiles des contextes aniconiques

Focusing on Societies for Psychical Research and Mediums in Iceland, this article starts with two initial statements. On the one hand it states that modern esotericism enjoys all kind of representations (pictures, theatre.) and makes use of them as a favorite way of expression. On the other hand it...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives de sciences sociales des religions
Main Author: Pons, Christophe
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:French
Published: Éditions de l’EHESS 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/assr/4335
Description
Summary:Focusing on Societies for Psychical Research and Mediums in Iceland, this article starts with two initial statements. On the one hand it states that modern esotericism enjoys all kind of representations (pictures, theatre.) and makes use of them as a favorite way of expression. On the other hand it seems that such a trend of representing is more active in northern european and american societies, that is to say off protestant tradition. Trying to understand this unexpected cohabitation, the article enhances the ambivalence of occultism and protestantism through the common deepside of introspection. Moreover, all the many and diverse aspects icelandic society is using to show an invisible world establish that figurative tendency is not restricted inside occultist' area. It refers to a distinctive religious sensibility, very often experienced. En examinant l'univers des sociétés psychiques et des médiums en Islande, cet article part d'un double constat. D'une part, l'ésotérisme moderne se plaît à explorer les représentations (figuratives, théâtrales.) comme son mode privilégié d'expression et arbore, de ce fait, une forte tendance iconophile au sens large. D'autre part, c'est dans les pays de tradition réformée que ces voies semblent les plus fortement investies. En cherchant à comprendre le paradoxe de cette cohabitation, l'article interroge plus largement l'ambivalence entre occultisme et protestantisme, autour du processus cognitif de l'introspection inventive. Mais, en montrant également comment la société islandaise cherche à représenter l'invisible aussitôt que possible, cette tendance figurative sort des seuls cadres occultistes pour s'affirmer socialement comme une sensibilité religieuse distinctive. Al examinar el universo de las sociedades psíquicas y de los mediums en Islandia, este artículo parte de una doble constatación. Por una parte, el esoterismo moderno se complace en explorar las representaciones (figurativas, teatrales.) como su modo privilegiado de expresión y enarbola, a partir de ahí, ...