Synopses & Reviews
This work is a first of its kind historical introduction to the major religions of Africa. The vast majorities of Africa's peoples have been Muslim, Christian, or Traditionalist for a great deal of time, making an inclusive study of these religions essential. Isichei's work gives equal attention to all three religions and balances the elements of each to construct an easily accessible overview. It is also the first book to provide a comprehensive look at the traditional religion in Africa, filling the void in the literature on African religious history.
Written by a pioneering scholar in the African religious experience, this volume blends in-depth research and personnel accounts to explore the origins and effects of religion in Africa. While primarily a work of history this book also incorporates the latest findings while engaging with current issues such as the interface of neo-traditional religion and contemporary cultures. This work includes four sections, each dedicated to a separate religion, detailed maps, a glossary, and a guide to further reading.
Review
[S]tudents will be able to dip into it and have their appetites whetted, and harrased lecturers seeking African material will quickly find what they want. Then in the hundred pages of back-up material available they may pursue the topic further. A good library purchase.African Studies Review
Review
Isichei (religious studies, U. of Otago, New Zealand) catalogues the diversity and evolution of religious traditions in Africa from approximately 500 CE to the present. She examines Christian, Islamic, and "traditional" religious traditions in separate sections, dealing with socioeconomic changes interacting with religious evolution, issues of doctrine and symbolism, political and sectarian competition and cooperation, and other related topics.Reference and Research Book News
Review
[T]he book is rich in detail backed by the sureness of hand that only comes with direct exposure to Africa and African religious traditions.The International Journal of African Historical Studies
Synopsis
An authoritative overview of the three major religions of Africa- Islam, Christianity, and "Traditional," written by one of the leading scholars in the field.
Synopsis
Written by a pioneering scholar in the African religious experience, this volume blends in-depth research and personnel accounts to explore the origins and effects of religion in Africa.
Table of Contents
Religion to 600 CE
The Study of Traditional Religion
The Early Church in Northern Africa
Islam in Africa
The Spread of Islam in Northern Africa to 1800
The Growth of Islam in Sub Saharan Africa
New States in the Western Sudan: The Nineteenth Century
Northern Africa in the Nineteenth Century
Northern Africa in the Colonial Era
Northern Africa since Independence: The Islamist Challenge
West Africa since 1900
Christianity in Africa since c. 500
Christianity from c. 500 to c.1800
Christianity in the Nineteenth Century
African Christian Initiatives: Two Case Studies
The Twentieth Century: The Older Churches
African Initiated Churches: The Prophetic Model.
The Global and The Local: Neo-Pentecostalism
The Changing Face of "Traditional" Religion
Divinities
Ancestors As Divinities
Powers Embodied: The Medium and The Mask.
Ritual and Divination
Royals, Priests and Prophets
Mythology and proverbial wisdom
Suffering and Its Interpreters
Glossary
A Guide to Further Reading