From Library Journal
Sullivan (director, Ctr. for the Study of World Religions; history of religion, Harvard) has compiled a well-balanced collection of essays by respected scholars on the history and roles of spirituality in a variety of Native American cultures. The groups included are as diverse as the Mescalero Apache, Lakota, Muskogee, and Tlingit. Sullivan's insightful introduction explains why each of the nine essays was selected, providing a broader examination of the ramifications of the anthropological study of Native American spirituality. All the essays unequivocally show that a dynamic religious vitality remains present in the Native American cultures examined. Each explores in depth the historical and contemporary significance of various Native American religious practices as well as the impact wrought by exposure to Christianity over the last two centuries. This excellent collection presents dignified and respectful views of Native American spirituality and is highly recommended for anthropology and religion collections in academic libraries.DElizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"The volume is clearly an important contribution to scholarship in religious studies, the anthropology of religion and area studies in Central/Mesoamerica and South America. Although academically sophisticated, it would be an appropriate text for graduate or advanced undergraduate students." -Studies in Religion, 2004 (
Studies In Religion/Sciences Religieuses )
