Conjure in African American Society

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, New Age, Magic Studies, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, African-American Studies
Cover of the book Conjure in African American Society by Jeffrey E. Anderson, LSU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jeffrey E. Anderson ISBN: 9780807148372
Publisher: LSU Press Publication: December 1, 2005
Imprint: LSU Press Language: English
Author: Jeffrey E. Anderson
ISBN: 9780807148372
Publisher: LSU Press
Publication: December 1, 2005
Imprint: LSU Press
Language: English

From black sorcerers' client-based practices in the antebellum South to the postmodern revival of hoodoo and its tandem spiritual supply stores, the supernatural has long been a key component of the African American experience. What began as a mixture of African, European, and Native American influences within slave communities finds expression today in a multimillion dollar business. In Conjure in African American Society, Jeffrey E. Anderson unfolds a fascinating story as he traces the origins and evolution of conjuring practices across the centuries.
Though some may see the study of conjure as a perpetuation of old stereotypes that depict blacks as bound to superstition, the truth, Anderson reveals, is far more complex. Drawing on folklore, fiction and nonfiction, music, art, and interviews, he explores various portrayals of the conjurer -- backward buffoon, rebel against authority, and symbol of racial pride. He also examines the actual work performed by conjurers, including the use of pharmacologically active herbs to treat illness, psychology to ease mental ailments, fear to bring about the death of enemies and acquittals at trials, and advice to encourage clients to succeed on their own. By critically examining the many influences that have shaped conjure over time, Anderson effectively redefines magic as a cultural power, one that has profoundly touched the arts, black Christianity, and American society overall.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From black sorcerers' client-based practices in the antebellum South to the postmodern revival of hoodoo and its tandem spiritual supply stores, the supernatural has long been a key component of the African American experience. What began as a mixture of African, European, and Native American influences within slave communities finds expression today in a multimillion dollar business. In Conjure in African American Society, Jeffrey E. Anderson unfolds a fascinating story as he traces the origins and evolution of conjuring practices across the centuries.
Though some may see the study of conjure as a perpetuation of old stereotypes that depict blacks as bound to superstition, the truth, Anderson reveals, is far more complex. Drawing on folklore, fiction and nonfiction, music, art, and interviews, he explores various portrayals of the conjurer -- backward buffoon, rebel against authority, and symbol of racial pride. He also examines the actual work performed by conjurers, including the use of pharmacologically active herbs to treat illness, psychology to ease mental ailments, fear to bring about the death of enemies and acquittals at trials, and advice to encourage clients to succeed on their own. By critically examining the many influences that have shaped conjure over time, Anderson effectively redefines magic as a cultural power, one that has profoundly touched the arts, black Christianity, and American society overall.

More books from LSU Press

Cover of the book Winding through Time by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Public Spaces, Private Gardens by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Modern Baptists by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Horse People by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Resisting History by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book A Rebel Wife in Texas by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Cityscapes of New Orleans by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Wild Blessings by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Reconstructing Violence by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book The Realist Tradition and Contemporary International Relations by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book The Edge of the Swamp by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Randall Lee Gibson of Louisiana by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Civil Wars by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Storytelling, History, and the Postmodern South by Jeffrey E. Anderson
Cover of the book Remembering Reconstruction by Jeffrey E. Anderson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy