Demonisasi Topeng Egwugwu
Kajian Dinamika Internal dan Eksternal Agama Asli Afrika Menghadapi Kristenisasi
Abstract
The encounters of cultures, among which is of religions, cultivate the internal and external dynamic of both individual and society in adapting their most edifying existence. The encounters fuel individual and social adaptation through various dimensions and types of interactions, one of which is demonization. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1959) presents this drama of encounters through its fearful yet succulently rich narration of collisions between egwugwu religion of Igbo in Nigeria and Christianity. This paper elucidates the philosophical consequence of such a powerful presentation of the cultural collision within Igbo society in Things Fall Apart in understanding the phenomena of religion in human person and in humanity. First, religion serves the metaphoric communication between the real and the surreal. Second, demonization in religion enhances a social change through the redescription of its own vocabularies and narrative. Finally, religion serves as the fictional vision for the recreated solidarity among human persons.
Abstrak
Pertemuan kebudayaan, salah satunya dalam bentuk masuknya agama baru ke suatu wilayah, memicu dinamika internal dan eksternal pada individu dan masyarakat untuk mencari cara bereksistensi yang paling mengembangkan. Salah satunya adalah adaptasi model interaksi individu dan masyarakat melalui demonisasi. Novel Things Fall Apart karya Chinua Achebe (1959) memperlihatkan demonisasi dalam agama egwugwu dari suku Igbo di Nigeria melalui desakralisasi yang dinarasikan secara mengerikan tetapi kaya dan menarik sebagai penodaan topeng egwugwu. Melalui kajian atas demonisasi dalam Things Fall Apart ditemukan pemahaman mengenai agama sebagai relasi komunikasi metaforik di tingkat real dan surreal. Kajian juga memperlihatkan bahwa agama, melalui demonisasi yang memaksa dilahirkannya kosakata dan narasi baru, menjadi agen perubahan sosial. Meskipun demikian, demonisasi yang mengimplikasikan perubahan sosial tersebut tidak dengan sendirinya menjadi tanda berakhirnya agama, sebab agama juga berperan sebagai fiksi yang memberi arah bagi persaudaraan yang dibentuk oleh umat manusia.
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