Vibal Foundation Launches Second Edition of Anting-anting Book
Vibal Foundation launched You Shall Be As Gods: Anting-anting and the Filipino Quest for Mystical Power, Second Edition on December 10, 2022 at Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Baguio City. Authored by Dennis Santos Villegas, the book explores the many variations of belief in the anting-anting and its role in Philippine history, culture, and psychology.
This second edition contains two new chapters: one on the role of women in organized religion, and another dedicated to the categorization of anting-anting.
The book explains the anting-anting as more than a protective talisman, but a part of an elaborate system of beliefs that has evolved over centuries, synthesizing the animist spirituality of ancient pre-colonial Filipinos with the Catholic doctrines brought by Spanish colonizers. Today, this belief system continues to manifest itself in daily life with its complex hierarchies, manifold trials and rituals, dense symbolism, and flights into mysticism and the unknown. This book is the triumphant result of in-depth research coupled with the derring-do of first-person gonzo journalism.
In his book review, historian Dr. Jaime B. Veneracion said that “the author Dennis Villegas combined his personal encounters with the story of the anting-anting, participated in complex rituals as well as joined the various millenarian groups in the country, in the quest to understand its true and authentic nature. Although scholarly in tone, his presentation remains eminently popular and is highly attractive to young and old readers alike.”
You Shall Be As Gods: Anting-anting and the Filipino Quest for Mystical Power, Second Edition is part of Vibal Foundation’s Voyager series—the interdisciplinary series that pushes the boundaries of scholarly publishing with smart, literate, and thought-provoking works into uncharted territories and exploring intriguing topics that often elude academic discussion.
The book may be purchased online at Vibal Shop (https://shop.vibalgroup.com), Shopee, Lazada, GrabMart, and Amazon. For bulk orders, please contact marketing@vibalgroup.com.