PRIESTS

Priests: translation

Shamans are commonly distinguished from priests in academic discussions of distinctions between kinds of religious leaders. Although some cultures recognize that there are some situations in which a person may act as both shaman and priest, or shaman andelder, such roles are often distinct. The defining practice of priests is the offering of sacrifices on behalf of their communities or of the world.Caroline HumphreyandUrgunge Onondemonstrate the sacrificial duties of elders but not shamans inMongolia. InAmazonia, shamans may offer sacrifices, especially as part of theirmediatingrole between deities and human communities. Thus the distinction is not a universal one. It is likely that the preference for shamans over priests in contemporary Western imagination is rooted in intraChristianpolemics of Protestants against Catholicism and allegedritualismand misconstrues the significance of both religious functionaries.