Francisco Capelo

The Rational Religion Francisco Capelo

. SummaryIt is probably a utopia, but is a concrete utopia and with evident practical application: a rational religion, perhaps the only one that can claim this status. While the three famous religions of the book preserve the monolithic authority of monotheism, the oldest known religion in the History of humanity counterbalances this success reached by Islam, Christianity and Judaism with a low profile posture that will pay off the effort in a near future. Far from anthropomorphism, against a fake idolatry and the idea of God´s personification, Shamanism exists so that man can find his own soul. Falsely accused of pure charlatanism and irrationality, it has turned out to be a source of anthropological lessons, and the recovery of its status now includes also the reinterpretation of the essential role of the shaman's sociological figure as a creator of new experiences and as a therapist of the whole society. Nothing has changed in man; neither its physiological structure nor its psychology: only society has changed over time. And the shaman continues to be part of the social whole, and its healing power has been preserved from time immemorial, and continues to be as active as it used to be. Shamanism is, given the historical, anthropological and geographical evidence, probably the only religion that can claim the status of Rational. And in the troubled times we are going through, full of contradictions and relativisms, this is a value in itself that can give us some humanism that we have lost. It may seem a small achievement - but, believe me, it represents (almost) everything in our collective life.. Table of contents: INTRODUCTIONI - A deeply human GodII - The five so necessary mystifications:1. From Monism to Monotheism (from nature to one God)2. Anthropomorphism (God made in the image of man)3. Political use of religion4. Dividing to reign5. Umbilical cut between man and natureCONCLUSION: III - The solution nobody saw - Shamanism and the origins of religionBibliography - Concepts - Notes