Rev. Danny Fisher

The International Herald Tribune files a fascinating report on Taiwan’s jitong, or shamans.

In the past…shamans played a central role in rural village life. Based in local temples, they would channel spirits to help heal the sick, pick auspicious dates for important occasions and resolve community disputes.

Now, as Taiwan’s economy has developed and its population urbanized, jitong…are changing with the times. With the tradition on the decline in the countryside, [only a small number] are maintaining the shamanistic practice, but adapting it to the needs of modern city-dwellers.

The author (left) and Justin Whitaker (right) at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL, during the 2008 American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Photographer unknown.