DOCSLIB.ORG

Traveller Theology: a Theological Anthropology of the Uk’S Gypsies and Travellers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Traveller Theology: a Theological Anthropology of the Uk’S Gypsies and Travellers TRAVELLER THEOLOGY: A THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE UK’S GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS by Steven Horne Canterbury Christ Church University Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2020 DISCLAIMER I declare that no portion of the work referred to in the Thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this (Canterbury Christ Church University) or any other university or other institute of learning. I confirm that this Thesis is entirely my own work. Copyright in text of this Thesis rests with the author. Copies by any process in full, or in extracts, may be only in accordance with instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the Canterbury Christ Church University Graduate College Office. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my utmost gratitude to the Graduate College of Canterbury Christ Church University for their award of the University Research Scholarship, which has enabled me to undertake this research. I also wish to thank my supervisory panel, Rev. Dr Ivan Khovacs, Professor Robert Beckford and Dr Brian Capper, for their unending support, guidance and friendship. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my scholarly apprenticeship under your tutorage. There are many people who have encouraged and supported me along this journey, and I am very grateful to them all. In particular I want to acknowledge the following people: Rev. David Stroud; Dr Maria Diemling; Professor Thomas Acton, and Professor Bee Scherer. I want to turn my attention to my family and firstly thank my late Nanny. Your secret gifts of books as a child quenched my thirst for knowledge and gave me the appetite to learn everything I possibly could. I hope you are proud of me. I love you and I miss you. I want to thank my mother, Sue. You taught me what it is to be Christian, you showed me what unconditional love looks like, and you never once stopped believing in me. As a boy, you gave me the nickname ‘little Professor’. Thank you for sowing that seed! And last but by no means least, I want to thank Emma and my children for always being patient, loving and encouraging me every step of the way. I could not have done this without you. ii Abstract The aim of this thesis is to identify and thread cultural strands (beliefs and customs, narratives and histories, and rituals and traditions) from Gypsy and Traveller culture into a coherent theology. The researcher’s hypothesis is that the most effective method in which one can truly and fully access Gypsy and Traveller culture and community is via the ‘vehicle’ of Christianity and Christian theological interpretation. The original contribution to knowledge is a theological interpretation of Gypsy and Traveller practices, beliefs, and communities in the UK. This introduces the secondary aim of the thesis, which is to contribute to the field of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma (GRT) studies, an area typically dominated by social-science approaches. The thesis engages both the historical and present-day context, critically examining and addressing relevant themes in GRT studies and specific theological literature. In addition, field research conducted in various parts of the UK enables the examination of cultural tropes, including ‘Purity’, ‘Sin’, ‘Nomadism’, ‘Space’ and ‘Time’. From these multiple streams, a hermeneutic is developed that forensically reveals original data. This data includes foundational theological elements of: a ‘Mosaic’ camp analogy; a Traveller Christology; and a Traveller eschatology. The thesis is both ethnographic and theological in nature, with the researcher being uniquely placed, having familial ties with the Traveller/Gypsy community. To accommodate these approaches and the participation of the researcher, this thesis employs a mixed method approach, consisting of both Autoethnographic and Black Liberation theology methodologies. Theologically and theoretically the thesis is both a demonstration and an act of Constructive Liberation theology, so, namely a ‘critical reflection on praxis… worked out in light of the Word’ (Gutiérrez, 1973). iii Table of Contents Disclaimer i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Table of Contents 1 Table of Figures 7 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 8 0.1 – Reasoning and Hypothesis for the Thesis ................................................................ 8 0.2 – Why ‘Traveller’? ..................................................................................................... 10 0.3 – Thesis Structure ..................................................................................................... 11 0.4 – Summary ............................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER ONE – METHODOLOGY .............................................................................. 14 1.1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................ 14 1.1.1 – Positioning the Traveller (and the Requirement for Theology as Theory and Method) .......................................................................................................................... 14 1.2 – Theological Methodology: Black Constructive Theology ......................................... 19 1.2.1 – Defining Theology ............................................................................................... 19 1.2.2 – Theological Pluralism? ........................................................................................ 20 1.2.3 – Liberation and Constructive Approaches ............................................................. 22 1.2.4 – Theological Methodology Summary .................................................................... 26 1.3 – Empirical Data Methodology: Autoethnography ..................................................... 28 1 1.3.1 – The Position of the Researcher ........................................................................... 28 1.3.2 – Considering an Autoethnographic Approach ....................................................... 28 1.3.3 – Supporting the Autoethnographic Method: The ‘Edgelands’ Theory .................... 31 1.3.4 – Supporting the Autoethnographic Method: Autoethnographic Theologies Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 35 1.3.4.1 – Supporting the Autoethnographic Method: Autoethnographic Theologies ........ 35 1.4 – Empirical Data Gathering ....................................................................................... 42 1.4.1 – Data Gathering Approach: Method and Model .................................................... 42 1.4.1.1 – Data Gathering Approach: ‘Five Stations’ ......................................................... 46 1.4.1.2 – Data Gathering Approach: Thematic Analysis .................................................. 52 1.4.2 – Research Parameters ......................................................................................... 58 1.5 – Ethics Committee Process ..................................................................................... 59 1.6 – Conclusion and Summary ...................................................................................... 60 CHAPTER TWO – CHRISTIANITY AND THE GYPSY CHURCH: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................................................................. 63 2.1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................ 63 2.2 – The Literature ........................................................................................................ 64 2.2.1 – Salvation and Cultural Redemption ..................................................................... 64 2.2.2 – Ecclesiology, Particular Beliefs and the Early Gypsy Church .............................. 67 2.2.3 – Growth of Gypsy Christianity and the Gypsy Church ........................................... 72 2.2.4 – Reaffirming the new Gypsy Christianity ............................................................... 77 2.2.5 – Resisting Oppression through Religious and Autoethnographic Discourse ......... 81 2.3 – Summary ............................................................................................................... 87 2 CHAPTER THREE – CHRISTIAN IDENTITY AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES: SIN AND OTHERNESS .................................................................................................. 90 3.1 – Introduction to (Christian) Identity .......................................................................... 90 3.1.1 – Christian Plurality ................................................................................................ 91 3.2 – Introduction to Traveller Sin and Otherness ........................................................... 94 3.3 – Traveller Perceptions of Sin ................................................................................... 95 3.4 – Responses to Contemporary Stereotypes .............................................................. 98 3.4.1 – Conflict: People and Animals .............................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Evoking the Sacred: the Artist As Shaman
    Evoking the Sacred: The Artist as Shaman Dawn Whitehand BAVA (Hons) This exegesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Arts Academy University of Ballarat PO Box 745 Camp Street, Ballarat, Victoria 3353 Australia Submitted in April 2009 The objects of [American] Indians are expressive and most decorative because they are alive, living in our experience of them. When the Indian potter collects clay, she asks the consent of the river-bed and sings its praises for having made something as beautiful clay. When she fires her pottery, to this day, she still offers songs to the fire so it will not discolor [sic] or burst her wares. And finally, when she paints her pottery, she imprints it with the images that give it life and power- because for an Indian, pottery is something significant, not just a utility but a ‘being’ for which there is as much of a natural order as there is for persons or foxes or trees.1 Jamake Highwater 1 Jamake Highwater, The Primal Mind: Vision and Reality in Indian America. (New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc., 1981), 77-8. ii Abstract This thesis examines, via a feminist theoretical framework, the systems in existence that permit the ongoing exploitation of the environment; and the appropriateness of ceramics as a medium to reinvigorate dormant insights. I argue that the organic nuances expressed through clay; the earthy, phenomenological and historic ritual connotations of clay; and the tactile textured surfaces and undulating form, allows ceramics to conjure responses within the viewer that reinvigorates a sense of embedment in the Earth.
    [Show full text]
  • (Title of the Thesis)*
    Dionysian Semiotics: Myco-Dendrolatry and Other Shamanic Motifs in the Myths and Rituals of the Phrygian Mother by Daniel Attrell A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2013 © Daniel Attrell 2013 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract The administration of initiation rites by an ecstatic specialist, now known to western scholarship by the general designation of ‗shaman‘, has proven to be one of humanity‘s oldest, most widespread, and continuous magico-religious traditions. At the heart of their initiatory rituals lay an ordeal – a metaphysical journey - almost ubiquitously brought on by the effects of a life-changing hallucinogenic drug experience. To guide their initiates, these shaman worked with a repertoire of locally acquired instruments, costumes, dances, and ecstasy-inducing substances. Among past Mediterranean cultures, Semitic and Indo-European, these sorts of initiation rites were vital to society‘s spiritual well-being. It was, however, the mystery schools of antiquity – organizations founded upon conserving the secrets of plant-lore, astrology, theurgy and mystical philosophy – which satisfied the role of the shaman in Greco-Roman society. The rites they delivered to the common individual were a form of ritualized ecstasy and they provided an orderly context for religiously-oriented intoxication.
    [Show full text]
  • The Complete System of Thelemic Magick
    Thelemic Qabalah Volume I Publication in Class C by Frater Apollonius 4°=7□ ATAT Fable Once upon a time there was a Great Wild Beast whose mighty roar could be heard all over a sleepy kingdom. In this kingdom there were many lovely maidens. Each Maiden lived in a wonderful cottage by a lake or a stream or by the ocean or by an echoing valley. The Children of this kingdom knew no mother or father but rather sought sustenance and comfort in the house of one of the many Maidens. Each Maiden gathered about herself all of the beautiful Children that she came in contact with and taught them by the L.V.X. of Her Soul. Each Maiden could hear the roar of the Great Wild Beast and knew that with each roar, new Children would come seeking sustenance and shelter and knowledge. The maidens would leave on porch lights to guide the children to them for the Kingdom was enveloped in eternal darkness save in the presence of a Maiden. If a Child learned well, they became a Maiden and left the cottage, with a light of their own to build and light a cottage of their own. At intervals, a Great Wild Beast would be born and roar for a time. Each Great Wild Beast, nearing the time of His passing, would teach a Maiden how to roar like them and instruct them to pass the roar on until they heard another Great Wild Beast. One day, the Great Wild Beast died and his roar was not heard in the Kingdom for many a year.
    [Show full text]
  • Europe's Poverty-Stricken Roma Communities
    EUROPE’S POVERTY-STRICKEN ROMA COMMUNITIES Askold Krushelnyck The next few years will be crucial for the Roma people. There are at least 6 million Roma in Europe with the majority in former communist countries, several of which joined the European Union (EU) in May 2004. Roma people hope that the tolerance espoused by the EU will break a centuries-long cycle of prejudice and persecution. Romania, scheduled to join the EU in 2007, has Europe’s largest Roma population of around 2million people. But the name Roma is not derived from Romania, where they were enslaved until 1864. The Nazis slaughtered between 500,000 and 1.5 million Roma in a little known holocaust. The Roma, or Romani (meaning ‘man’ or ’people’), have also been called Gypsies, Tsigani, Tzigane, Ciganoand Zigeuner, which most of them consider derogatory terms. Many identify themselves by their tribes and groups, which include the Kalderash, Machavaya, Lovari, Churari, Romanichal, Gitanoes, Kalo, Sinti, Rudari, Manush, Boyash, Ungaritza, Luri, Bashaldé, Romungroand Xoraxai. There is no universal Roma culture, although there are attributes common to all Roma: Roma populations have the poorest education, health and employment opportunities, and the highest rates of imprisonment and welfare dependency. They have the lowest life expectancy levels of all Europeans. They also have the highest birthrate, giving credibility to evidence that authorities in one Central European country were recently pressuring Roma women to undergo sterilization. The Roma still have a reputation as nomadic peoples; but the nomadic lifestyle owed as much to Roma people being banned from entering towns as to any desire to wander.
    [Show full text]
  • Exegesis of the Greek Scriptures
    6 | Exegesis of the Greek Scriptures The principles required for responsible interpretation of the New Testament principles required for responsible interpretation of the New Testament Enrichment Version The Enrichment Version is designed for those who wish to explore principles that lead to healthy procedures for comprehending and applying the New Testament without the intention of pursuing either a certificate or a degree. This syllabus is identical to the one used by credit and degree-track students, except it is void of Internet articles, videos, listings of secondary resources, exams, and writing assignments. There is nothing to submit for professorial review or grading. Therefore, the Enrichment syllabus is available for downloading without cost. Interested parties may glean substantial knowledge, comprehension, and understanding of New Testament exegesis through this guide. Other courses deal with the people, places, and events of the Greek Scriptures and their meaning. This course in exegesis is concerned with the student's own ability to interpret New Testament texts. The need to do personal interpretation presupposes that spiritual maturity rests upon good exegesis. The course assumes the student has a good understanding of the nature and content of the New Testament. The task here is to select samples of biblical texts and consider how they should be studied and what application can be made for the present day. The course is organized in four modules: (1) Interpreting the New Testament, (2) Matthew and Mark, (3) Acts and the Modern Church, and (4) The Book of Revelation. Objectives • Recognize the nature of New Testament compositions • Identify rules, vocabulary, and principles for interpreting New Testament genres • Apply New Testament texts to contemporary situations Course Learning Outcomes At the end of the course, the student will be able to 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenging Essentialized Representations of Romani Identities in Canada
    Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 2-7-2014 12:00 AM Challenging Essentialized Representations of Romani Identities in Canada Julianna Beaudoin The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Randa Farah The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Anthropology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Julianna Beaudoin 2014 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Beaudoin, Julianna, "Challenging Essentialized Representations of Romani Identities in Canada" (2014). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1894. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1894 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Challenging Essentialized Representations of Romani Identities in Canada (Thesis format: Monograph) by Julianna Calder Beaudoin Graduate Program in Anthropology Collaborative Program in Migration and Ethnic Relations A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada ©Julianna Beaudoin 2014 Abstract Roma are one of the world’s most marginalized and exoticized ethnic groups, and they are currently the targets of increasing violence and exclusionary polices in Europe. In Canada, immigration and refugee policies have increasingly dismissed Roma as illegitimate or ‘bogus’ refugee claimants, in large part because they come from ‘safe’ European countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Analogical Evidence and Shamanism in Archaeological Interpretation: South African and European Palaeolithic Rock Art
    Analogical Evidence and Shamanism in Archaeological Interpretation: South African and European Palaeolithic Rock Art MARÍA CRUZ BERROCAL Rock art studies have been strongly reliant on ethnography in recent decades. Since the 1970s, the (re)turn to ethnography has been considered short of a paradigmatic change, and it has indeed stirred a lot of theoretical discussion in the very under-theorized field of rock art research. The ethnographic turn has been mainly built around shamanism, very loosely defined here as the causal association that researchers establish between shamanic practices and rock art, and from which explanations have been sought. The application of this approach has changed through time, depending on 1) the archaeological context in which it was to be applied, 2) the use of additional sources of evi- dence (namely, neuropsychology), 3) the role of shamanism as a hypothesis or as an established fact. As a hypothesis it has been built on the basis of three dif- ferent kinds of analogies: ethnographic, formal and uniformitarian. This paper addresses the shifting character of shamanism in South African and European Palaeolithic rock art studies, seeking to contribute at least in part to a broader reflection on the nature of analogical reasoning and its implications. INTRODUCTION This paper highlights the role that anal- ogy plays in shamanism, and its changing This paper is a historiographic revision of nature through time. The term shamanism the application of a shamanistic hypothesis, hides not only different analogies, but also henceforth ‘shamanism’, to rock art stud- different theoretical approaches to the social ies, especially in the South African and significance of rock art.
    [Show full text]
  • Contribution Au Glossaire Sur Les Roms
    1 HDIM.IO/218/07 27 September 2007 ORIGINAL: English Roma and Travellers Glossary Compiled by Claire PEDOTTI (French Translation Department) and Michaël GUET (DGIII Roma and Travellers Division) in consultation with the English and French Translation Departments and Aurora AILINCAI (DGIV Project «Schooling for Roma Children in Europe»). Kindly translated into English by Vincent NASH (English Translation Department). General comments: The many different terms found in Council of Europe texts and on Council websites make harmonisation of the Organisation’s usage essential. That is the purpose of this glossary, which will be up-dated regularly . This glossary reflects the current consensus. Following its suggestions is thus strongly recommended (if in doubt, use the underlined term). Last update : 11 December 2006 2 The terminology used by the Council of Europe (CoE) has varied considerably since the early 1970s : «Gypsies and other travellers»1, «nomads»2, « populations of nomadic origin»3, «Gypsies»4, «Rroma (Gypsies)»5, «Roma»6, « Roma/Gypsies»7, «Roma/Gypsies and Travellers»8, « Roms et Gens du voyage »9. Some of our decisions on terminology are based on the conclusions of a seminar held at the Council of Europe in September 2003 on «The cultural identities of Roma, Gypsies, Travellers and related groups in Europe», which was attended by representatives of the various groups in Europe (Roma, Sinti, Kale, Romanichals, Boyash, Ashkali, Egyptians, Yenish, Travellers, etc.) and of various international organisations (OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission, UNHCR and others). The question’s complexity has obliged us to lay down a number of linguistic principles, which may seem a little arbitrary.
    [Show full text]
  • Exegesis, Religious Coping, and Spiritual Growth by Michael R
    How Do You Read It?: Exegesis, Religious Coping, and Spiritual Growth By Michael R. O’Shea Date: April 12, 2021 Approved: _____________________ First Reader _____________________ D.Min. Director Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in the Divinity School of Duke University 2021 How Do You Read It?: Exegesis, Religious Coping, and Spiritual Growth By Michael R. O’Shea Date: April 12, 2021 Approved: _____________________ First Reader _____________________ D.Min. Director An abstract of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in the Divinity School of Duke University 2021 copyright Abstract This thesis analyzes critical and non-critical approaches to the interpretation of scripture against the four psychological features of religious coping identified by Ken Pargament—differentiation, integration, flexibility, and security—to argue that an ecclesial-critical approach to biblical interpretation is best suited to nurture the psychological resources necessary to successfully navigate spiritual crisis and produce ongoing spiritual growth. iv Dedication To all those who have contributed to my spiritual growth. v Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents
    [Show full text]
  • Romani Realities in the US: Breaking the Silence
    Romani Realities in the US: Breaking the Silence. Challenging the Stereotype. About the Study: The FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University and Voice of Roma are collaborating on a study of Romani (i.e., Roma/Romani/Romanichal/ “Gypsy”) lives in the United States. The research team will collect data to help improve the understanding of the social, economic, cultural, and health status of Romani people and the discrimination Romani people face in the United States. Currently, there is little information about the lived realities and challenges faced by the American Romani population. Romani people in the US are spread widely, and census data does not include information on Romani identity. This study will collect quantitative and qualitative data via short answers plus open-ended questions. The findings in this study will hopefully inspire and encourage more research on Romani populations across the Americas, counter stereotypes, and begin to address the problems that Romani people face. Those taking part in the study will be Roma/Romani/Romanichals who are 18 years or older. Participants will be asked for their opinion on how Roma/Romani/Romanichals/ “Gypsies” are depicted in the United States. Most of the questions are about Romani identity, culture, and participants’ feelings on some of the challenges facing their communities. The interview will take about 1 hour to complete and will be done through face-to-face interviews or via online video calling platforms. The researcher will not ask participants’ last names or any identifying personal data, such as indication of housing location. All responses to interview questions are private.
    [Show full text]
  • Semiotics and Magick
    Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology Volume 6, Issue 1 ISSN 2380-7458 Semiotics and Magick Author(s): Nathan W. Bjorge Source: Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology 6, no. 1 (2020): 30-51. Published by: Graduate Theological Union © 2020 Online article published on: December 12, 2020 Copyright Notice: This file and its contents are copyright of the Graduate Theological Union © 2020. All rights reserved. Your use of the Archives of the Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology (BJRT) indicates your acceptance of the BJRT’s policy regarding the use of its resources, as discussed below: Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited with the following exceptions: Ø You may download and print to a local hard disk this entire article for your personal and non- commercial use only. Ø You may quote short sections of this article in other publications with the proper citations and attributions. Ø Permission has been obtained from the Journal’s management for exceptions to redistribution or reproduction. A written and signed letter from the Journal must be secured expressing this permission. To obtain permissions for exceptions, or to contact the Journal regarding any questions regarding any further use of this article, please e-mail the managing editor at [email protected] The Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology aims to offer its scholarly contributions free to the community in furtherance of the Graduate Theological Union’s mission. Semiotics and Magick Nathan W. Bjorge Graduate Theological Union Berkeley, California, U.S.A. ABSTRACT: In this essay Maurice Blanchot’s structuralist concept of symbolic transcendence is hermeneutically deployed to reexamine Aleister Crowley’s Thelemic theory of Magick through a semiotic and materialist lens.
    [Show full text]
  • Seeing Beauty:A Visual Exploration of Transformative Experience
    Seeing Beauty A Visual Exploration of Transformative Experience. by Alyssa Simone BVA Hons, First Class, University Medal, The University of Sydney Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Tasmania, June 2011 Signed statement of originality This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the thesis. To the best of my knowledge and belief, it incorporates no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text. Alyssa Simone ii Signed statement of authority of access to copying This thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Alyssa Simone iii Abstract This thesis is concerned with developing a visual language to explore the concept of immaterial reality as encountered through transformative experience. Many individuals have had unique, and often profound, transformative experiences which have made them aware of a different order of reality. Following the experience, there is a certainty within the individual that an intangible aspect of reality exists, traditionally referred to as the immaterial or spiritual. The experiences are not exclusive to, or necessarily associated with, traditional forms of institutionalised religion and they are not automatically related to the occult. They can occur to any individual, regardless of age, sex, race or their location in time and space. The experiences are imbued with an archetypal form of beauty which permeates the individual’s vision of existence.
    [Show full text]