The Problem With Islands Comparing Mysticisms In Iceland And Faroe Islands

Abstract

Through the analysis of spiritualist and christian mysticisms, this paper is bringing to comparison the two opposite religious orientations that have been distinctively accepted, followed and diffused in Iceland (modern esotericism) and Faroe Islands (Protestant asceticism). Historical circumstances and external interactions give some clues for the understanding of these orientations. But the question is also to wonder in which way those orientations might be «culturally based», that is to say referring to some long term features on the one hand, participating to a process that agents have acknowledged and/or created consciously on the other? Taking into account that the two types of mysticisms (Spiritualist/Christian) are usually referring to different modes of social organisation (free individual users on a network / communitarian within the sect), the author aims to reverse the magnifying glass effect of islands case studies into a heuristic tool in understanding modern esotericism and Christian asceticism within the Nordic world. 1

Expériences surnaturelles. La modernité fait-elle une différence ?

“…C'est ainsi qu'on peut découvrir partout et en tous temps des sociétés qui poussent loin les singularités distinctives de leurs membres, tandis que d'autres prennent un grand soin à créer les conditions de leur homogénéisation. Pour les contextes européens, je me suis efforcé de montrer cela à partir d'une analyse croisée des organisations sociales en Islande et aux îles Féroé (Pons 2009). Ces deux sociétés, pourtant si proches, ont paradoxalement développé des systèmes génériques d'organisation très différents qui ressortent, au final, comme des modèles idéaltypes de société individualiste (Islande) et communautariste (îles Féroé).…”