Algunos problemas de interpretación de la religión chané

The relevance of some classical ideas of the anthropological study of religions for the understanding of Chané religion is examined. In order to examine two basic premises —the degree of possibility of intercultural translation and the relative character of contexts of meaning— several aspects are discussed: the relationships between symbolism and diverse features of social structure; the problem of symbolic ambivalence; the coexistence of pragmatic and symbolic dimensions of action; the idea of the sacred as interdiction; the preeminence of ritual; the systematic character of religious beliefs; the exegetical, conceptual and metaphysical implications of the missionary use of indigenous notions to translate the Christian idea of the «soul»; and the selective integration of foreign cultural influences.