• Find books, Bibles and more in our new Christian Books store.
  
  

Buy this book with Conjure in African American Society by Jeffrey E. Anderson today!

Buy Together Today: $51.71

Spiritual Merchants: Religion, Magic, and Commerce by Carolyn Morrow Long  (6)  $17.10

African Intellectual Heritage (African American Studies) by Molefi Asante  (2)  $37.95

Varieties of African American Religious Experience (New Vectors in the Study of Religion and Theology) by Anthony, B. Pinn  (1)  $20.00

Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn Updated and Expanded Edition (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society) by Karen McCarthy Brown  (18)  $21.95

Working the Spirit: Ceremonies of the African Diaspora by Joseph M. Murphy  (1)  $21.02

› Explore similar items : Books (49)

Product Description
Black Magic looks at the origins, meaning, and uses of Conjure--the African American tradition of healing and harming that evolved from African, European, and American elements--from the slavery period to well into the twentieth century. Illuminating a world that is dimly understood by both scholars and the general public, Yvonne P. Chireau describes Conjure and other related traditions, such as Hoodoo and Rootworking, in a beautifully written, richly detailed history that presents the voices and experiences of African Americans and shows how magic has informed their culture. Focusing on the relationship between Conjure and Christianity, Chireau shows how these seemingly contradictory traditions have worked together in a complex and complementary fashion to provide spiritual empowerment for African Americans, both slave and free, living in white America.
As she explores the role of Conjure for African Americans and looks at the transformations of Conjure over time, Chireau also rewrites the dichotomy between magic and religion. With its groundbreaking analysis of an often misunderstood tradition, this book adds an important perspective to our understanding of the myriad dimensions of human spirituality.

From the Inside Flap
"Chireau has written a marvelous text on an important dimension of African American religious culture. Expanding beyond the usual focus of scholarship on Christianity, she describes and analyzes the world of magical-medical-religious practice, challenging hallowed distinctions among "religion" and "magic." Anyone interested in African American religion will need to reckon seriously with Chireau's text on conjure."--Albert J. Raboteau, Princeton University

"Deprived of their own traditions and defined as chattel, enslaved Africans formed a new orientation in America. Conjuring--operating alongside of and within both the remnants of African culture and the acquired traditions of North America--served as a theoretical and practical mode of deciphering and divining within this, enabling them to create an alternate meaning of life in the New World. Chireau's is the first full-scale treatment of this important dimension of African American culture and religion. A wonderful book!"--Charles H. Long, Professor of History of Religions University of California, Santa Barbara and author of Significations: Signs, Symbols and Images in the Interpretation of Religion

See all Editorial Reviews

First Sentence:
A remarkable moment occurs in the climax of the 1992 film Daughters of the Dust. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
harming magic, conjuring traditions, supernatural practitioners, supernatural specialists, supernatural artifacts, harming practices, supernatural traditions, conjuring practices, malign occultism, supernatural practices, black healers, conjuring culture, conjure doctor, black folk traditions, black spirituality, hoodoo doctor, cunning persons, supernatural healing, root doctors, supernatural beliefs, witchcraft beliefs, southern negro, slave religion, black religion, blues performers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African American, South Carolina, United States, North Carolina, New Orleans, New York, Wells Brown, Nat Turner, New England, Sea Islands, Southern Workman, Civil War, Hampton Institute, Holy Ghost, Old World, Church of God, Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Abraham, Holy Spirit, North America, Charles Chesnutt, High John the Conqueror, Mary Owen, Albert Raboteau, Alice Bacon New!
Books on Related Topics |