Spirits in politics: uncertainties of power and healing in African societies

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Book

Title:	Spirits in politics: uncertainties of power and healing in African societies
Editors:	Meier, Barbara Steinforth, Arne S.
Chapter(s):	Present
Year:	2013
Pages:	265
Language:	English
City of publisher:	Frankfurt
Publisher:	Campus Verlag
ISBN:	9783593399157
Geographic terms:	Africa Congo (Republic of) Gabon Malawi Mozambique Nigeria Sierra Leone South Africa Uganda Zambia Zanzibar
Subjects:	spirits faith healing politics power
Abstract:	Researchers committed to the understanding of current social processes in African societies have ascertained that spirits feature persistently in political, economic and social action, either as subtle subtext or in decidedly apparent ways. This book seeks to extend the theoretical reflections on the relationship of religious phenomena in the socio-political sphere in African societies. It does so through case studies from Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville (Florence Bernault), Sierra Leone (John M. Combey), Nigeria (Johannes Harnischfeger), Mozambique (Victor Igreja & Limore Racine), Zambia (Thomas G. Kirsch), Zanzibar (Kjersti Larsen), Uganda (Barbara Meier), South Africa (Isak Niehaus) and Malawi (Arne S. Steinforth), as well as arguing from a comparative African perspective (Stephen Ellis & Gerrie ter Haar). The volume focuses on the concepts of modernity, power, and violence, adding the notion of healing to this context and investigating their empirical correlations. [ASC Leiden abstract]