Traditional African religions and spiritual beliefs Books

Book SynopsisExamines the global legal challenges faced by adherents of the most widely practiced religions of the African diaspora in the twenty-first century, including Santeria/Lucumi, Haitian Vodou, Candomblé, Palo Mayombe, Umbanda, Islam, Rastafari, Obeah, and Voodoo.Trade Review“A comprehensive and timely work that adds an unprecedented amount of evidence for the persistence of ‘religious racism’ against African-identified religions today. Boaz’s monograph is incredibly well-researched and should become a cornerstone of syllabi dealing with Africana religions.”—J. Brent Crosson Ethnic and Racial Studies“Provocative, timely, and accessibly written, this book makes important contributions to the study of religion and law and African diasporic religions that will also be of interest to scholars beyond those fields.”—Alexander Rocklin Nova Religio“Banning Black Gods does tremendous work in laying out a massive cross-cultural and transtemporal archive of legal cases that will allow for complicated intersectional questions about religious racism to be asked by future scholars. For that Danielle N. Boaz has done us a great service.”—Paul Christopher Johnson Journal of Church and State“Banning Black Gods is well worth reading for anyone interested in religion and law, Africana religions, religion and race, and many other fields. Boaz’s broad scope and bold insight combine to make a cogent case for religious racism as a framework for understanding the legal challenges faced by practitioners of African diaspora religions transnationally.”—Alexandria Griffin Reading Religion“Banning Black Gods is an original and venturesome text, testing just how far the concept of religious freedom might be extended. In these troubling times, this book will become an indispensable guide to help us understand the socio-legal realities for adherents of African-derived religions and the grounds on which legal protections are either offered or denied. Written in an accessible style, this book analyzes the legal and social landscape in many countries.”—Kathleen M. Moore,author of The Unfamiliar Abode: Islamic Law in the United States and Britain

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Book SynopsisExamines the global legal challenges faced by adherents of the most widely practiced religions of the African diaspora in the twenty-first century, including Santeria/Lucumi, Haitian Vodou, Candomblé, Palo Mayombe, Umbanda, Islam, Rastafari, Obeah, and Voodoo. Trade Review“A comprehensive and timely work that adds an unprecedented amount of evidence for the persistence of ‘religious racism’ against African-identified religions today. Boaz’s monograph is incredibly well-researched and should become a cornerstone of syllabi dealing with Africana religions.”—J. Brent Crosson Ethnic and Racial Studies“Provocative, timely, and accessibly written, this book makes important contributions to the study of religion and law and African diasporic religions that will also be of interest to scholars beyond those fields.”—Alexander Rocklin Nova Religio“Banning Black Gods does tremendous work in laying out a massive cross-cultural and transtemporal archive of legal cases that will allow for complicated intersectional questions about religious racism to be asked by future scholars. For that Danielle N. Boaz has done us a great service.”—Paul Christopher Johnson Journal of Church and State“Banning Black Gods is well worth reading for anyone interested in religion and law, Africana religions, religion and race, and many other fields. Boaz’s broad scope and bold insight combine to make a cogent case for religious racism as a framework for understanding the legal challenges faced by practitioners of African diaspora religions transnationally.”—Alexandria Griffin Reading Religion“Banning Black Gods is an original and venturesome text, testing just how far the concept of religious freedom might be extended. In these troubling times, this book will become an indispensable guide to help us understand the socio-legal realities for adherents of African-derived religions and the grounds on which legal protections are either offered or denied. Written in an accessible style, this book analyzes the legal and social landscape in many countries.”—Kathleen M. Moore,author of The Unfamiliar Abode: Islamic Law in the United States and Britain

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Book SynopsisThis book explores humanâanimal relations amongst the Bebelibe of West Africa, with a focus on the establishment of totemic relationships with animals, what these relationships entail and the consequences of abusing them. Employing and developing the concepts of presencing and the ontological penumbra to shed light on the manner in which people make present and engage in the world around them, including the shadowy spaces that have to be negotiated in order to make sense of the world, the author shows how these concepts account for empathetic and intersubjective encounters with non-human animals. Grounded in rich ethnographic work, Totemism and HumanâAnimal Relations in West Africa offers a reappraisal of totemism and considers the implications of the ontological turn in understanding humanâanimal relations. As such, it will appeal to anthropologists, sociologists and anthrozoologists concerned with humanâanimal interaction.Table of Contents1. An Historical Review of Totemism 2. Penumbras, Ontons and Presencing 3. Hunting and Domestication 4. Killing and Consumption 5. Body-Shifting 6. Totem Crocodiles and Pythons 7. Ontology of Human–Animal Relations

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Book SynopsisIlluminates the mutual transformation of African and African-American cultures, highlighting the example of the Afro-Brazilian Candomble religion. This book contests the conviction that transnationalism is new and the long-held supposition that African culture endures in the Americas only among the poorest and most isolated of black populations.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2006 Melville J. Herskovits Award, African Studies Association "Readers with an interest in Afro-diasporan studies and the historical development of 'creole' or 'hybrid' cultures, as well as those attentive to contemporary debates about modernity, nationalism, and globalization, will find here a provocative reflection on Black Atlantic culture."--Kelly E. Hayes, History of ReligionsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations vii Introduction 1 Chapter One: The English Professors of Brazil On the Diasporic Roots of the Yoruba Nation 38 Chapter Two: The Trans-Atlantic Nation Rethinking Nations and Transnationalism 73 Chapter Three: Purity and Transnationalism On the Transformation of Ritual in the Yoruba-Atlantic Diaspora 115 Chapter Four: Candomble's Newest Nation: Brazil 149 Chapter Five: Para Ingles Ver Sex, Secrecy, and Scholarship in the Yoruba-Atlantic World 188 Chapter Six: Man in the "City of Women" 224 Chapter Seven: Conclusion The Afro-Atlantic Dialogue 267 Appendix A: Geechees and Gullahs The Locus Classicus of African "Survivals" in the United States 295 Appendix B: The Origins of the Term "Jeje" 299 Notes 301 Bibliography 343 Index 369

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Book Synopsis''I am truly dazzled'' TRACY CHEVALIER''A rich tapestry of African mythology and magic'' CHERIE JONES''Bursting with magic, bright and visceral'' JENNIFER SAINT''One of the brightest stars in the literary world'' KIRSTY LOGAN''A feast of shimmering, beautiful prose'' CHIKA UNIGWESoon you will become the thing all other beasts fear.Treasure and her mother lost everything when Treasure''s daddy died. Haggling for scraps in the market, Treasure meets a spirit who promises to bring her father back - but she has to do something for him first. Ozoemena has an itch in the middle of her back that can''t be scratched. An itch that speaks to her patrilineal destiny, to defend her people by becoming a leopard. Her father impressed upon her what an honour this was before he vanished, but it''s one she couldn''t want less. But as the two girls reckon with their burgeoniTrade ReviewI am truly dazzled. Emelumadu has revealed surprising layers of our world and given me the eyes to see them. -- Tracy Chevalier, author of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and A SINGLE THREADAn otherworldly vision of Nigeria . . . lit up by wisecracks, folk wisdom, the idiosyncrasies of boarding-school life, and those quirky turns of phrase Nigerians have given to the rest of humanity. * Guardian *Rich in Nigerian mythology and treading into the sphere of magical realism, Dazzling is a deeply immersive, feminist read about heritage, girlhood, and justice. With a strong narrative and vivid prose, this new release is sure to keep you entranced from start to finish. * Bookstr *On starting Chikodili Emelumadu's Dazzling, I was immediately impressed by her virtuosic facility with language and fierce imagination. Enchanted by both Ozoemena and Treasure, I wondered how their parallel stories would come together. As the novel progressed, I became increasingly intrigued with its magical realism and folklore. The storylines converge in an unexpected, explosive, and deeply satisfying conclusion that had me turning right back to the beginning to appreciate all that I missed the first time round. Bravo! I envy other readers their first and subsequent reads. -- Melissa Fu, author of PEACH BLOSSOM SPRINGDazzling is a feast of shimmering , beautiful prose. Dark and humorous in places, it is an incessantly pleasurable read. Emelumadu has gifted us a thing of beauty. -- Chika Unigwe, author of ON BLACK SISTER STREET and NIGHT DANCERI struggled to come up with a line that captures the magic within. Emelumadu's singular debut is uncanny and affecting in equal measure. -- T. L. Huchu, author THE HAIRDRESSER OF HARARE and THE LIBRARY OF THE DEADA vibrant, immersive read that takes the reader on a dizzying journey through Nigerian mythology - Emelumadu does what I love best in this novel: she lays bare human weaknesses and celebrates female strength; she builds a world bursting with magic, bright and visceral; she has created two immensely memorable protagonists and woven a story that will linger in my mind for a long time. -- Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE, ELEKTRA and ATALANTAChikodili Emelumadu has written one hell of a book. Dazzling is bold, funny, louche, smart, shocking and very, very addictive. It seizes you by the scruff of the neck & plunges you into a world packed with juicy characters, macabre magic and plotting to die for. I loved it. -- Meg Clothier, author of THE BOOK OF EVEThis book is a masterful storm. The voices are so precise and clear they cut you. Reading through the pages took me deep into the dappled world of Ozoemena and her leopard, and I will never be able to leave. -- Doreen Cunningham, author of SOUNDINGSDazzling is an erudite, original and beautifully written first novel. Chikodili Emelumadu is a writer to watch. -- Christie Watson, author of THE COURAGE TO CARE: A Call for CompassionEmelumadu's novel is a magnificent coming of age story, empathetic in its exploration of character and culture within a rich tapestry of African mythology and magic. -- Cheries jones, author of HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSEI've just turned the final page of Dazzling and my heart is still thumping. This is an absolute tour de force: rich and tender, tinged with fire. The characters are alive, every page is pulsing with magic, and it has a python-like plot, so coiled and clever. Prepare to be moved and gripped and utterly invested in the story of Treasure and Ozoemena. I'm desperate to see what Chikodili Emelumadu writes next... -- Alex Hay, author of THE HOUSEKEEPERSThis book deserves its title; an extraordinary debut packed with supernatural wonders, human emotion and fiercely drawn, visceral characters. . . Gripping, otherworldly and unforgettable, this excellent novel means Emelumadu is definitely one to watch. * Cambridge Edition *An incredible debut novel about two girls on the cusp of womanhood in Nigeria. . . Vivid, compelling and original. * Big Issue *Chikodili Emelumadu is one of the brightest stars in the literary world right now. I loved Dazzling and can't wait to see her continue to ascend. -- Kirsty Logan, author of NOW SHE IS WITCHEvocative and a little mysterious, this literary fantasy is immersive and full of Nigerian mythology. Recommend this lustrous coming-of-age story to those who like to read across genres. * Library Journal *I was bewitched... I would not have guessed this was first novel; Emelumadu seems to have writing naturally in the blood -- Tracy Chevalier, author of THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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