Juha Pentikäinen
Encyclopedia
Juha Pentikäinen is a professor in the Department of Comparative Religion at the University of Helsinki
. With a field-work oriented approach to the study of religious traditions he is especially interested in the oral history of languages, religions and cultures. His research, mostly taking place in interdisciplinary teams such as indigenous peoples, minorities, Finnish emigrant societies and other people themselves as members of the teams has been done in all continents as well as lectures at over 100 universities. The recipient of many awards and honors including the 3rd honorary medal of the international society for research for the lifetime career as the scholar of shamanism in 1999. His publications since 1960 include 30 books, 250 scholarly articles, and 15 films. He has held professorships in Europe and America as well as keynote addresses. In 1995 he was nominated to membership of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.
He is globally renowned for his research in religious traditions in the Finnish culture, and their psychological effects on humans. His respect has led to a number of guest professorships in both the United States and Norway. Along with his professorships, he has appeared to speak at over 100 Universities in numerous different countries. Based upon his work, other professors (i.e. Veikko Anttonen and Nils G. Holm) in his field have analyzed his approach towards the studies of religion. They say that First he looks at the Ethnography of a Religion, then looks at the Regional Phenomenology of the Religions, and lastly he conducts a comparative study of the religious traditions. His form of research has resulted in numerous awards and inductions into societies throughout Finland and the Globe.
He is most known for his book Kalevala Mythology, which is an in depth analysis of Elias Lönnrot
's epic Kalevala
. He analyzes both the career background and life of Lönnrot. Then he analyzes the epic, and the differences between the two versions that Lonnrot wrote. He reveals the flaws within the epic and presents the argument that the epic instilled a spirit of national romanticism within the Finnish society, which makes it so significant to the Finnish culture. http://www.jstor.org/view/00027294/ap020486/02a00790/0?frame=noframe
His uncle was Vilho Pentikäinen, well known communistic secret spy who spied against Finland for the Soviet Union.
Shamanism and Culture (1997).
Shamanhood: Symbolism and Epic (Budapest: 2000).
Shamanhood – The Endangered Language of the Secret Knowing (Oslo: 2003)
Uralic Mythology and Folklore (1989).
Northern Religions and Shamanism (1992).
Saamelaiset, Pohjoisen kansan mytologia (1995).
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
. With a field-work oriented approach to the study of religious traditions he is especially interested in the oral history of languages, religions and cultures. His research, mostly taking place in interdisciplinary teams such as indigenous peoples, minorities, Finnish emigrant societies and other people themselves as members of the teams has been done in all continents as well as lectures at over 100 universities. The recipient of many awards and honors including the 3rd honorary medal of the international society for research for the lifetime career as the scholar of shamanism in 1999. His publications since 1960 include 30 books, 250 scholarly articles, and 15 films. He has held professorships in Europe and America as well as keynote addresses. In 1995 he was nominated to membership of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.
He is globally renowned for his research in religious traditions in the Finnish culture, and their psychological effects on humans. His respect has led to a number of guest professorships in both the United States and Norway. Along with his professorships, he has appeared to speak at over 100 Universities in numerous different countries. Based upon his work, other professors (i.e. Veikko Anttonen and Nils G. Holm) in his field have analyzed his approach towards the studies of religion. They say that First he looks at the Ethnography of a Religion, then looks at the Regional Phenomenology of the Religions, and lastly he conducts a comparative study of the religious traditions. His form of research has resulted in numerous awards and inductions into societies throughout Finland and the Globe.
He is most known for his book Kalevala Mythology, which is an in depth analysis of Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for compiling the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled from national folklore.-Education and early life:...
's epic Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
. He analyzes both the career background and life of Lönnrot. Then he analyzes the epic, and the differences between the two versions that Lonnrot wrote. He reveals the flaws within the epic and presents the argument that the epic instilled a spirit of national romanticism within the Finnish society, which makes it so significant to the Finnish culture. http://www.jstor.org/view/00027294/ap020486/02a00790/0?frame=noframe
His uncle was Vilho Pentikäinen, well known communistic secret spy who spied against Finland for the Soviet Union.
Publications
Kalevala Mythology (1989).Shamanism and Culture (1997).
Shamanhood: Symbolism and Epic (Budapest: 2000).
Shamanhood – The Endangered Language of the Secret Knowing (Oslo: 2003)
Uralic Mythology and Folklore (1989).
Northern Religions and Shamanism (1992).
Saamelaiset, Pohjoisen kansan mytologia (1995).