Explorations in the Anthropology of Religion : Essays in Honour of Jan Van Baal

This Festschrift is dedicated to Prof. Dr. J. van Baal on the occasion of his retirement from the chair of cultural anthropology at the University of Utrecht. The essays presented here are written by fellow scholars in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of anthropology. In order to arrange the papers araund a theme that has never ceased to fascinate van Baal, we have asked the contributors to concentrate on a rel­ igious subject. Within this broad area no specific topics have been solicit­ ed, and the authors-- mainly fellow anthropologists and students of relig­ ion-- have been able to pursue their own personal interests in the articles. Nevertheless, when the papers were collected, we found it possible to group them under three headings, each of which represents a facet of ·1an Baal's enduring interests. Of course, some overlap is inevitable, as it is in any categorisation of heterogeneaus items. The topics of the three sections by no means represent an exhaustive inventory of all fields van Baal has successfully explored. The focus on religion necessarily leaves out many problems van Baal has actively occ- ied hirnself with during his many-sided career. Thus the academic stance of the Festschrift in no way pays tribute to his prolonged concern with admi. Front Matter....Pages N1-5 Front Matter....Pages 7-7 Other Peoples’ Religions are Absurd....Pages 8-24 Religions of Faction and Community-Religions....Pages 25-28 Rites of Initiation: A Contribution to the Methodology of Comparative Religion....Pages 29-45 Opportunism in Religious Behaviour....Pages 46-54 The Religion of Everyday Life: An Ethnoscience Investigation into the Concepts of Religion and Magic....Pages 55-70 Histoire D’une Structure....Pages 71-78 Front Matter....Pages 79-79 Structural History: A New Guinea Case Study....Pages 80-111 Eclipses as Omens of Death: The Socio-Religious Interpretation of a Cosmological Phenomenon among the Suki in South New Guinea....Pages 112-121 Life in Death: A Lungga (Gidja) Mythic Corollary....Pages 122-148 Nunggubuyu Aboriginals and Marind-Anim: Preliminary Comparisons between Southeastern Arnhem Land and Southern New Guinea....Pages 149-166 Salvation Movements Among the Muyu-Papuas of West-Irian....Pages 167-189 Wok Kako and Wok Bisnis....Pages 190-212 Front Matter....Pages 213-213 On the Political Impact of a Prophetic Movement in Surinam....Pages 215-233 Myth, Ideology and Changing Society....Pages 234-246 Religion and the Dutch Tribe....Pages 247-279 Religion and Christian Faith: Some Sociological Comments....Pages 280-295 Erratum to: Eclipses as Omens of Death: The Socio-Religious Interpretation of a Cosmological Phenomenon among the Suki in South New Guinea....Pages 304-304 Back Matter....Pages 296-303 Burridge, K. O. L. Other peoples' religions are absurd. Baaren, Th. P. van. Religions of faction and community-religions. Hoens, D. J. Rites of initiation. Köbben, A. J. F. Opportunism in religious behavior. Beek, W. E. A. van. The religion of everyday life. Lévi-Strauss, Cl. Histoire d'une structure. Pouwer, J. Structural history. Nieuwenhuijsen, J. W. van & Nieuwenhuijsen-Riedeman, C. H. van Eclipses as omens of death. Berndt, R. M. Life in death. Leeden, A. C. van der. Nunggubuyu aboriginals and Marind-Anim. Schoorl, J. W. Salvation movements among the Muyu-Papuas of West-Irian. Ploeg, A. Wok kako and wok bisnis. Thoden van Velzen, H. U. E. & Wetering, W. van. On the political impact of a prophetic movement in Surinam. Locher, G. W. Myth, ideology and changing society. Waardenburg, J. D. J. Religion and the Dutch tribe. Vrijhof, P. H. Religion and Christian faith.