European Traditions in the Study of Religion in AfricaThis volume comprises case studies of five centuries of European encounters with and imaginations of Africa encompassing her triple religious heritage: African Traditional Religions, Christianity and Islam. The introductory chapters outline the challenges and present overviews; some of them also analyze the early accounts of European travelers and missionaries. The following contributions examine the lasting legacy of the European Enlightenment in employing an ambivalent language of human equality and universalism, while in actual fact consigning Africa to an inferior position. It has been difficult for western scholars to divorce themselves wholly from the perceptions thus established. However, there have been quite different approaches. This is indicated in the papers discussing the role and impact of influential European academics (scholars of religion, theologians, historians and social scientists) during the colonial and postcolonial period. Other contributions examine specific institutional centers of African religious studies in Europe. The concluding chapters critically assess European approaches and their use for the study of religion in Africa from an African perspective. |
Contents
They became slaves of their definitions Okot pBitek 19311982 and | 23 |
Sources in Mission Archives | 39 |
German Koran Translations and Their Reception in North Africa | 57 |
Thinking Alterity in Abbé | 97 |
Wissenschaft Africa and the Cultural Process according to Johann Gottfried | 117 |
Africa and the Origin of the Science of Religion Max Müller 18231900 | 141 |
A Polemic | 161 |
J H Oldham 18741969 Missions and British Colonial | 175 |
Integrative or Isolationist? | 237 |
The Significance of Approaches to the Study of African | 255 |
Reflections of an Editor | 265 |
Aims and Activities | 291 |
Institutions of the Former GDR | 313 |
Some Remarks on the Growing Interface of Migration Studies | 329 |
East African | 365 |
Appendix | 383 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
academic Acholi African Christianity African culture African religions African societies African Studies African Traditional Religion Anthropology approach Bantu Beier beliefs Bengt Berlin British Buxton Centre century Christian mission colonial concept Congo context contributions Department diaspora discourse divine Dutch East edition Edwin ethnographic European Evans-Pritchard Frobenius Geoffrey Parrinder German Greek Herder history of religions human Ibid ideas Independent Churches indigenous influence Institute of Missionary interest International Islam in Africa Journal Kemp Kenya language Leo Frobenius London Max Müller migration missiology mission archives Missionary Research Missionary Society modern movement Müller Muslim Nigeria Okot p'Bitek Oldham orientalism Orthodox Oxford Parrinder perspective Philosophy Platvoet political published religion in Africa Religious Studies ritual Sanneh scholars slave Smith social South Africa Studia Missionalia Upsaliensia study of African study of religion Sundkler Swedish Institute theology Trimingham Uganda Ulli Beier University Press Uppsala West Africa Westerlund Westermann Western Xhosa Yoruba