Art and Religion in Africa

by Hackett, Rosalind I. J.; Abiodun, Rowland

• ISBN13: 9780304704248
• ISBN10: 0304704245
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Continuum Intl Pub Group

Summary

Africa's religious and artistic traditions constitute a primary example of its intellectual and cultural vitality. Artistic works play a vital role - especially where oral traditions dominate - in communicating ideas about the relationship between the human, spiritual and natural worlds. This work is a comparative study of Africa's visual and performing arts, concentrating on their geographical, material and gendered diversity, and focusing on the relation of these arts to African religion. The author combines ethnographic and art-historical methodology but does not assume any prior knowledge of African art or African religion. The text seeks a greater understanding of the philosophical and religious aspects of African art, thus challenging western perceptions of what is "important" in terms of artistic representation. This approach reveals the transformative capacities and multi-dimensionality of African art. The work also highlights the changes brought about by Christianity, Islam and the newer religious movements in post-colonial Africa.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgements
Map of Africa
Introduction	p. 1
Creation, Creativity and Agency	p. 23
Envisioning and (Re)presenting the Spirit World	p. 45
Ethos, Cosmos and Hierarchy	p. 78
Revealing and Concealing: The Art of Initiation and Secret Societies	p. 97
The Aesthetic as Antidote and Transformer	p. 119
Shrines as Ritual and Aesthetic Space	p. 146
Allusion and Illusion: The Rituals and Symbols of Death and Beyond	p. 167
Conclusion: Winds of Change	p. 192
Principal Ethnic Groups Mentioned in the Text	p. 206
Bibliography	p. 207
Index	p. 221
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