Description
Lee Irwin gathers a scattered literature to provide a single-volume overview that depicts American Indians' creative synthesis of their own religious beliefs and practices with a variety of Christian theological ideas and moral teachings. He traces continuities in the prophetic tradition from eighteenth-century Delaware prophets to Western dream dance visionaries, showing that Native American prophecy was not merely borrowed from Christianity but emerged from an interweaving of Christian and ancient North American teachings integral to Native religions.
From the highly assimilated ideas of the Puget Sound Shakers to such resistance movements as that of the Shawnee Prophet, Irwin tells how the integration of non-Native beliefs with prophetic teachings gave rise to diverse ethnotheologies with unique features. He surveys the beliefs and practices of the nation to which each prophet belonged, then describes his or her life and teachings, the codification of those teachings, and the impact they had on both the community and the history of Native religions. Key hard-to-find primary texts are included in an appendix.
An introduction to an important strand within the rich tapestry of Native religions, Coming Down from Above shows the remarkable responsiveness of those beliefs to historical events. It is an unprecedented, encyclopedic sourcebook for anyone interested in the roots of Native theology.
About the Author
Lee Irwin, Department Chair and Professor of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston, is author of The Dream Seekers: Native American Visionary Traditions of the Great Plains and editor of Native American Spirituality: A Critical Reader.
Book Information
ISBN 9780806139661
Author Lee Irwin
Format Hardback
Page Count 528
Imprint University of Oklahoma Press
Publisher University of Oklahoma Press
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 33mm
