The stereotypical image of a shaman is that of a painted witch doctor squatting before a smoldering fire fingering a handful of jade amulets.
Not so fast.
The Western version of the shaman wears a tailored suit and harnesses the power of modern technology. He stands before a TV camera as an expert mediator between the the audience and a complex spirit world, offering formulaic solutions to problems both banal and catastrophic. With a nose tuned for predicting disaster, he warns of the failure of following his instructions carefully. His words leave little room for mystery: A + B = C.
However, from what I hear from missionaries familiar with shamans, there is only one key difference, between him and the loinclothed witch doctors of the East: they usually do not ask for money; he always does.
This clip is from Tuesday night of TBN's Fall Fleece-a-Thon.
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