A Phenomenology of Indigenous Religions: Theory and Practice (Bloomsbury Advances in Religious Studies)

## Series: Bloomsbury Advances in Religious Studies Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters me in 2009. It was during the six months I was at the University of Sydney that I began exploring research opportunities in Central Australia. In this regard, I convey my deep gratitude to my colleagues in Alice Springs, particularly members of the Friends of the Strehlow Research Centre, who have welcomed me to Central Australia on numerous occasions since 2009 and have made my research projects there possible. I want to mention specifically the long-standing support I have received in Alice Springs from David and Susan Moore, David and Margaret Hewitt and Olga Radke. Over the twenty years represented by the contents of this book, of course, I could mention many more colleagues, friends and supporters. I hope they will know who they are and will accept this as a collective thank you. I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention the numerous Indigenous people from Alaska through Zimbabwe to Australia, who have shared their knowledge with me so freely and generously. Without them, the rich experiences of my life, which are reflected in the chapters of this book, would not have been possible. Finally, for her technical advice in assisting me to produce the script for this book, but more importantly, for her unfailing encouragement, I express my deep gratitude to my wife, Valerie. Cover Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Permissions Introduction. Background, context and clarifications Part I Phenomenology Of Religion: Theory, Method And Application Chapter 1 Methodological views on African religions Chapter 2 The contribution of T. G. H. Strehlow to the contemporary global study of Indigenous Religions Chapter 3 Missionaries, the phenomenology of religion and ‘re-presenting’ nineteenth-century African religion: A case study of Peter McKenzie’s Hail Orisha! Part II The Phenomenological Subject And Object Of Study Chapter 4 Religious typologies and the postmodern critique Chapter 5 African identities as the projection of Western alterity Chapter 6 Phenomenological perspectives on the social responsibility of the scholar of religion Part III Classifications And Definitions: On Delimiting The Field Of Indigenous Religions Chapter 7 The transmission of an authoritative tradition: That without which religion is not religion Chapter 8 Reflecting critically on Indigenous Religions Chapter 9 Kinship and location: In defence of a narrow definition of Indigenous Religions Part IV Indigenous Religions In Global Contexts Chapter 10 Secularizing the land: The impact of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act on Indigenous understandings of land Chapter 11 The study of religion and non-religion in the emerging field of ‘Non-Religion Studies’: Its significance for interpreting Australian Aboriginal religions Chapter 12 Global intentions and local conflicts: The rise and fall of Ambuya Juliana in Zimbabwe Part V Affirming Indigenous Agency Chapter 13 The debate between E. B. Tylor and Andrew Lang over the theory of primitive monotheism: Implications for contemporary studies of Indigenous Religions Chapter 14 T. G. H. Strehlow and the repatriation of knowledge Conclusion. Phenomenology at the Cutting Edge: Affirming Local Agency Notes References Index Introduction -- Part I: Phenomenology: Method and Application. 1. Methodological Views on African Religions ; 2. The Contribution of TGH Strehlow to the Contemporary Global Study of Indigenous Religions ; 3. Missionaries, the Phenomenology of Religion and 'Re-presenting' 19th-Century African Religion: A Case Study of Peter McKenzie's Hail Orisha! -- Part II: The Phenomenological Subject and Object of Study. 4. Religious Typologies and the Postmodern Critique ; 5. African Identities as the Projection of Western Alterity ; 6. Phenomenological Perspectives on the Social Responsibility of the Scholar of Religion ; 7. The Transmission of an Authoritative Tradition: That Without Which Religion is Not Religion ; 8. Reflecting Critically on Indigenous Religions ; 9. Kinship and Location: In Defence of a Narrow Definition of Indigenous Religions -- Part IV: Indigenous Religions in Global Contexts. 10. Secularizing the Land: The Impact of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act on Indigenous Understandings of Land ; 11. The Study of Religion and Non-religion in the Emerging Field of 'Non-religion Studies': Its Significance for Interpreting Australian Aboriginal Religions ; 12. Global Intentions and Local Conflicts: The Rise and Fall of Ambuya Juliana in Zimbabwe -- Part V: Affirming Indigenous Agency. 13. The Debate between E.B. Tylor and Andrew Lang over the Theory of Primitive Monotheism: Implications for Contemporary Studies of Indigenous Religions ; 14. T.G.H. Strehlow and the Repatriation of Knowledge -- Conclusion: A New Interpretation of the Phenomenology of Religion for Future Academic Studies of Indigenous Religions -- Bibliography -- Index "This book compiles James L. Cox's most important writings on a phenomenology of Indigenous Religions into one volume, with a new introduction and conclusion by the author. Cox has consistently exemplified phenomenological methods by applying them to his own field studies among Indigenous Religions, principally in Zimbabwe and Alaska, but also in Australia and New Zealand. Included in this collection are his articles in which he defines what he means by the category 'religion' and how this informs his precise meaning of the classification 'Indigenous Religions'. These theoretical considerations are always illustrated clearly and concisely by specific studies of Indigenous Religions and their dynamic interaction with contemporary political and social circumstances. This collection demonstrates the continued relevance of the phenomenological method in the study of religions by presenting the method as dynamic and adaptable to contemporary social contexts and as responsive to intellectual critiques of the method."-- Provided by publisher