Dream catchers : how mainstream America discovered native spirituality

In books such as Mystics and Messiahs, Hidden Gospels, and The Next Christendom, Philip Jenkins has established himself as a leading commentator on religion and society. Now, in Dream Catchers, Jenkins offers a brilliant account of the changing mainstream attitudes towards Native American spirituality, once seen as degraded spectacle, now hailed as New Age salvation. While early Americans had nothing but contempt for Indian religions, deploring them as loathsome devil worship and snake dancing, white Americans today respect and admire Native spirituality. In this book, Jenkins charts this remarkable change, highlighting the complex history of white American attitudes towards Native religions from colonial times to the present. Jenkins ranges widely, considering everything from the 19th-century American obsession with "Hebrew Indians" and Lost Tribes, to the early 20th-century cult of the Maya as bearers of the wisdom of ancient Atlantis, to films like Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves. He looks at the popularity of the Carlos Castaneda books, the writings of Lynn Andrews, and the influential works of Frank Waters, and he explores the New Age paraphernalia found in places like Sedona, Arizona, including dream-catchers, crystals, medicine bags, and Native-themed Tarot cards. Jenkins examines the controversial New Age appropriation of Native sacred places; notes that many "white Indians" see mainstream society as religiously empty; and asks why a government founded on religious freedom tried to eradicate native religions in the last century--and what this says about how we define religion. An engrossing account of our changing attitudes towards Native spirituality, Dream Catchers offers a fascinating introduction to one of the more interesting aspects of contemporary American religion. Anti-Catholicism has a long history in America. And as Philip Jenkins argues in The New Anti-Catholicism, this virulent strain of hatred--once thought dead--is alive and well in our nation, but few people seem to notice, or care. A statement that is seen as racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or homophobic can haunt a speaker for years, writes Jenkins, but it is still possible to make hostile and vituperative public statements about Roman Catholicism without fear of serious repercussions. Jenkins shines a light on anti-Catholic sentiment in American society and illuminates its causes, looking closely at gay and feminist anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholic rhetoric and imagery in the media, and the anti-Catholicism of the academic world. For newspapers and newsmagazines, for television news and in movies, for major book publishers, the Catholic Church has come to provide a grossly stereotyped public villain. Catholic opinions, doctrines, and individual leaders are frequently the butt of harsh satire. Indeed, the notion that the church is a deadly enemy of women--the idea of Catholic misogyny--is commonly accepted in the news media and in popular culture, says Jenkins. And the recent pedophile priest scandal, he shows, has revived many ancient anti-Catholic stereotypes. It was said that with the election of John F. Kennedy, anti-Catholicism in America was dead. This provocative new book corrects that illusion, drawing attention to this important issue.

Called a "man of genius" by his close friend Thomas Jefferson, John Ledyard lived, by any standard, a remarkable life. In his thirty-eight years, he accompanied Captain Cook on his last voyage; befriended Jefferson, Lafayette, and Tom Paine in Paris; was the first American citizen to see Alaska, Hawaii, and the west coast of America; and set out to find the source of the Niger by traveling from Cairo across the Sahara. His greatest dream, concocted with Jefferson, was to travel alone around the world and cross the American continent from the Pacific Northwest to the Atlantic. Catherine the Great dashed that dream when she had him arrested in deepest Siberia and escorted back to the Polish border. Ledyard wrote the definitive account of Cook's last voyage and his death at the hands of Hawaiian islanders, and formed a company with John Paul Jones that launched the American fur trade in the Pacific Northwest.Before the Revolution, Americans by and large didn't travel great distances, rarely venturing west of the Appalachians. Ledyard, with his boundless enthusiasm and wide-ranging intellect, changed all that. In lively prose, journalist James Zug tells the riveting story of this immensely influential character -a Ben Franklin with wanderlust-a uniquely American pioneer.

Called a "man of genius" by his close friend Thomas Jefferson, John Ledyard lived, by any standard, a remarkable life. In his thirty-eight years, he accompanied Captain Cook on his last voyage; befriended Jefferson, Lafayette, and Tom Paine in Paris; was the first American citizen to see Alaska, Hawaii, and the west coast of America; and set out to find the source of the Niger by traveling from Cairo across the Sahara. His greatest dream, concocted with Jefferson, was to travel alone around the world and cross the American continent from the Pacific Northwest to the Atlantic. Catherine the Great dashed that dream when she had him arrested in deepest Siberia and escorted back to the Polish border. Ledyard wrote the definitive account of Cook's last voyage and his death at the hands of Hawaiian islanders, and formed a company with John Paul Jones that launched the American fur trade in the Pacific Northwest. Before the Revolution, Americans by and large didn't travel great distances, rarely venturing west of the Appalachians. Ledyard, with his boundless enthusiasm and wide-ranging intellect, changed all that. In lively prose, journalist James Zug tells the riveting story of this immensely influential character -a Ben Franklin with wanderlust-a uniquely American pioneer. Jenkins Offers An Account Of The Changing Mainstream Attitudes Towards Native American Spirituality, Once Seen As Degraded Spectacle, Now Hailed As New Age Salvation. He Charts This Remarkable Change By Highlighting The Complex History Of White American Attitudes Towards Native Religions, Considering Everything From The 19th-century American Obsession With Hebrew Indians And Lost Tribes, To The Early 20th-century Cult Of The Maya As Bearers Of The Wisdom Of Ancient Atlantis. He Looks At The Carlos Castaneda Books, The Writings Of Lynn Andrews And Frank Waters, And Explores New Age Paraphernalia Including Dream-catchers, Crystals, Medicine Bags, And Native-themed Tarot Cards. He Also Examines The Controversial New Age Appropriation Of Native Sacred Places And Notes That Many White Indians See Mainstream Society As Religiously Empty.--from Publisher Description. Haunting America -- Heathen Darkness -- Discovering Native Religion, 1860-1920 -- Pilgrims From The Vacuum, 1890-1920 -- Crisis In Red Atlantis, 1914-1925 -- Brave New Worlds, 1925-1950 -- Before The New Age, 1920-1960 -- Vision Quests, 1960-1980 -- The Medicine Show -- Thinking Tribal Thoughts -- Returning The Land -- Real Religion? Philip Jenkins. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 257-298) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Dream Catchers......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 13 1 Haunting America......Page 16 2 Heathen Darkness......Page 35 3 Discovering Native Religion, 1860 – 1920......Page 62 4 Pilgrims from the Vacuum, 1890 – 1920......Page 80 5 Crisis in Red Atlantis, 1914 – 1925......Page 107 6 Brave New Worlds, 1925 – 1950......Page 128 7 Before the New Age, 1920 – 1960......Page 150 8 Vision Quests, 1960 – 1980......Page 169 9 The Medicine Show......Page 190 10 Thinking Tribal Thoughts......Page 212 11 Returning the Land......Page 238 Conclusion: Real Religion?......Page 260 Notes......Page 272 Index......Page 314 The astounding story of the eighteenth-century New Englander who traveled farther on four continents than anyone else in his day and who pioneered an American archetype: the restless explorer.