cult:

          The cult of Amang Hinulid in Bicol, Philippines is devoted to to the image of the ‘dead Christ’ . The focus on the dead Christ and the effect devotion to this specific vision of Jesus has socially will be explored to further explain the cultural root and function of such seemingly barbaric and insane acts such as self-flagellation and crucifixion rituals. Amang Hinulid is a wooden carving of the figure of a dead Jesus. There is a miraculous local mythology built about the origin of this particular wooden Christ, but I will not go into that here. Instead, I will focus of aspects of the devotion that reveal attitudes toward Christ that can be extrapolated to explain the meaning of flagellation and crucifixion to its practitioners. Devotion to Amang Hinulid, known affectionately as Ama by locals, is about healing – as are the flagellation and crucifixion rituals (Cannell 1995). Also similar to the flagellation and crucifixion rituals, the devotion to Ama is carried out through imitation of Christ. Though locals show reverence and devotion to Ama year round, activity greatly intensifies during Lent as Good Friday – the traditionally recognized day of Jesus’ death – approaches. Whereas the Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines tend to emphasize the birth and resurrection of Christ, Good Friday is the high point for many Filipinos.

          Devotion to Ama may include self-flagellation, but more importantly in the case of Ama, local healers imitate Christ in the form of the “shamanic exemplar” (Cannell 1995, 377). Local shamanic healers strive to imitate Christ in his ability to walk between worlds, between life and death – between the spiritual world and the material world (Cannell 1995). The healers see their vocation as a sacrifice for the good of others. Cleansing of sin is not the goal of devotion to Ama, “an intimate closeness with the Ama” is the goal (Cannell 1995, 388). Becoming close to Ama through devotion allows the Bicol healer to access the spirit world and gain healing powers that they use in order to ease the suffering of their communities. To many people in Bicol, Ama embodies “a Christ who was truly Christ but was also a magical hero, the best ‘shaman’” (Cannell 1995, 390). The cult of the ‘Dead Christ’ in Bicol illustrates the connection between modern Filipino religious practices and the pre-Spanish animist/shamanic traditions. This also helps to explain the unique variant of Catholicism in the Philippines. Healing, not necessarily forgiveness or redemption in the afterlife, is the goal in the minds of many Filipino Catholics. Becoming Christ-like, Filipinos often make their personal sacrifice to benefit others.