Fakecraft

The essay defines and explores the dimensions of ‘fakecraft’. It unpacks authenticity in relation to problems of identity, the aura of the original, and commodification. It then shows how notions of authenticity and the fake generate centers and peripheries in the study of religion. The essay explo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Paul Christopher Johnson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa 2018-07-01
Series:Journal for the Study of Religion
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/ReligionStudy/article/view/316
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author Paul Christopher Johnson
author_facet Paul Christopher Johnson
author_sort Paul Christopher Johnson
collection DOAJ
description The essay defines and explores the dimensions of ‘fakecraft’. It unpacks authenticity in relation to problems of identity, the aura of the original, and commodification. It then shows how notions of authenticity and the fake generate centers and peripheries in the study of religion. The essay explores how traditions of African descent in the Caribbean and Brazil havelong been marginalized in the study of religion as lacking depth or authenticity. The essay then takes up a specific example of fakecraft and its prolific work, namely in early modern Christianity’s process of purification and self-definition through evaluations of demonic possession as ‘real’or ‘fake’, terms that were then applied to the west coast of Africa. In the broadest terms, the article argues that fakecraft–discourses of the real versus the merely mimetic–is basic to religion-making.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1011-7601
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language English
publishDate 2018-07-01
publisher Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa
record_format Article
series Journal for the Study of Religion
spelling doaj-art-3a35b0627f9647d4ad73e385530954212025-01-29T09:01:40ZengAssociation for the Study of Religion in Southern AfricaJournal for the Study of Religion1011-76012413-30272018-07-01312FakecraftPaul Christopher Johnson The essay defines and explores the dimensions of ‘fakecraft’. It unpacks authenticity in relation to problems of identity, the aura of the original, and commodification. It then shows how notions of authenticity and the fake generate centers and peripheries in the study of religion. The essay explores how traditions of African descent in the Caribbean and Brazil havelong been marginalized in the study of religion as lacking depth or authenticity. The essay then takes up a specific example of fakecraft and its prolific work, namely in early modern Christianity’s process of purification and self-definition through evaluations of demonic possession as ‘real’or ‘fake’, terms that were then applied to the west coast of Africa. In the broadest terms, the article argues that fakecraft–discourses of the real versus the merely mimetic–is basic to religion-making. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/ReligionStudy/article/view/316fakefakeryauthenticityAfrican religionsdemon possessionmimesis
spellingShingle Paul Christopher Johnson
Fakecraft
Journal for the Study of Religion
fake
fakery
authenticity
African religions
demon possession
mimesis
title Fakecraft
title_full Fakecraft
title_fullStr Fakecraft
title_full_unstemmed Fakecraft
title_short Fakecraft
title_sort fakecraft
topic fake
fakery
authenticity
African religions
demon possession
mimesis
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/ReligionStudy/article/view/316
work_keys_str_mv AT paulchristopherjohnson fakecraft