Summary on Animism

This article written by Dean Halverson who is the director of Apologetics for international students Inc., describes the definition, common beliefs and practice and worldviews on animism he also brings in contrast the biblical comparison in view with animism, that render’s the solutions to reach out lost souls who are attracted to animism. This article is complied using very many sources that bring in conclusion with the Biblical worldview in contrast with animism. The word Animism comes from a Latin word anima which means soul or life. Animism is the belief that is personalized; supernatural beings (or souls) inhabit ordinary objects and govern their existence. Modern Neo-pagans often describe their belief system as animist. One example of this is the idea that the god and goddess consist of everything that exists although this is actually an example of animatism, rather than animism. The term is also the name of a theory of religion, proposed by the anthropologist Sir E. B. Tylor in his 1871 book, Primitive Culture. Animist form of religion is also called as “folk religion” which is like “folk Hinduism” or “folk Islam”. The need for understanding this religion is very important simply because it is pervasive and attractive to people especially to those who have travelled and moved from there home country to another. The pervasiveness of animism which simply means the concept of an abstract God who is not connected to or if rather distant and unknowable. A very simple example where a Hindu says that Brahman is nirguna which means “without attributes.” Animism in the widest sense, thinking of inanimate objects as animate and treating them as if they were animate. It is generally accepted that "animism" refers to the belief that non-human entities, such as animals and plants, as well as inanimate (spiritless) objects such as rocks, can have souls. Often these entities must be placated by offerings in order to gain favors, or even worshipped. Attraction of