Performative Animism

Abstract

Abstract In this article we suggest a shift to a performative perspective on animism. After identifying problems with essentialism, agency, and the object/subject dichotomy in previous animism studies, we engage with posthumanist theorists and bring in perspectives from new materialism and ritual studies. From the perspectives we suggest, performative animism exists in a variety of contexts, which should be acknowledged even when studying “religion.” Performative animism also allows us to explore normative modern, technological, secular animism, which most take for granted and which is even at times naturalized. Finally, we suggest that the concept “performative animism” can be used as an analytical tool in religious studies and that it has potential to overcome the shortcomings of the concept “religion” itself.