
A Problem of Presence
Beyond Scripture in an African Church
Matthew Engelke(Author)
University of California Press
1st Edition
Published on 21. May 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
321 pages
978-0-520-24904-2 (ISBN)
Description
The Friday Masowe apostolics of Zimbabwe refer to themselves as 'the Christians who don't read the Bible.' They claim they do not need the Bible because they receive the Word of God 'live and direct' from the Holy Spirit. In this insightful and sensitive historical ethnography, Matthew Engelke documents how this rejection of scripture speaks to longstanding concerns within Christianity over mediation and authority. The Bible, of course, has been a key medium through which Christians have recognized God's presence. But the apostolics perceive scripture as an unnecessary, even dangerous, mediator. For them, the materiality of the Bible marks a distance from the divine and prohibits the realization of a live and direct faith. Situating the Masowe case within a broad comparative framework, Engelke shows how their rejection of textual authority poses a problem of presence - which is to say, how the religious subject defines, and claims to construct, a relationship with the spiritual world through the semiotic potentials of language, actions, and objects.
Written in a lively and accessible style, "A Problem of Presence" makes important contributions to the anthropology of Christianity, the history of religions in Africa, semiotics, and material culture studies.
Written in a lively and accessible style, "A Problem of Presence" makes important contributions to the anthropology of Christianity, the history of religions in Africa, semiotics, and material culture studies.
Reviews / Votes
"An insightful inquiry into a fascinating ethnographic case." -- Thomas Kirsch Journal Of The Royal Anthropological Inst "A rich and rewarding book, A Problem of Presence contributes to a number of fields and brings them into new alignments." Journal Of Religion In Africa "An important contribution, not just to scholarship on the African Church, but also to an emerging anthropology of Christianity." -- David Maxwell Books & Culture "Highly useful for readers interested in African studies, religious studies, the anthropology of Christianity, the history of African churches, and social movements in Africa." -- Erica Bornstein H-Safrica "A remarkably insightful book." Gladys GanielMore details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
3 b-w photographs, 1 map
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-24904-2 (9780520249042)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2007
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
€33.99
Available for download
Person
Matthew Engelke is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at London School of Economics and Political Science.
Content
List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Map of Zimbabwe Introduction 1. Up in Smoke: Humility, Humiliation, and the Christian Book 2. The Early Days of Johane Masowe 3. The Question of Leadership: The Friday Message after Johane 4. Mutemo in Three Portraits 5. Listening for the True Bible: Live and Direct Language, Part I 6. Singing and the Metaphysics of Sound: Live and Direct Language, Part II 7. The Substance of Healing Conclusion Notes References Index