God values intentions

Abortion, expiation, and moments of sincerity in Russian Orthodox pilgrimage

Bibliographic Data

ID2435209
AuthorsSonja Luehrmann (Simon Fraser University, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume7
Issue1
Pages163-184
Publication date2017-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHau Journal of Ethnographic Theory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2049-1115 • E-ISSN: 2575-1433
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.14318/hau7.1.015
OpenAlexW2622769372
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited41

A broad understanding of sincerity includes the assumption that intentions matter for evaluating an action. Studies of Western Christianity often tell of an increasing focus on internal self-interrogation that led to an ideal of sincerity as a form of modern self-expression. Based on research with Russian Orthodox women who expiate abortions, I argue that intention matters here too, but not always and not in the form of deep interiority. During confession and pilgrimage, there are external criteria for evaluating oneself and others, including the ability to carry out plans without distraction and bear hardships without complaint. Some standards originate in the Soviet period, but judging intentions based on observable actions has a long tradition in Orthodox Christianity, traceable to Louis Dumont's idea of the outworldly individual and its modern adaptations. Dumont's perspective opens the way to investigating the temporal and social contexts in which a focus on sincere intentions can emerge

Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions