Barbara M. Cooper looks closely at the Sudan Interior Mission, an evangelical Christian mission that has taken a tenuous hold in a predominantly Hausa Muslim area on the southern fringe of Niger. Based on sustained fieldwork, personal interviews, and archival research, this vibrant, sensitive, compelling, and candid book gives a unique glimpse into an important dimension of religious life in Africa. Cooper's involvement in a violent religious riot provides a useful backdrop for introducing other themes and concerns such as Bible translation, medical outreach, public preaching, tensions between English-speaking and French-speaking missionaries, and the Christian mission's changing views of Islam.

Winner of the 2007 Herskovits Award

About the Author

Barbara M. Cooper is Professor of History at Rutgers University. She is author of Marriage in Maradi: Gender and Culture in a Hausa Society in Niger, 1900-1989.

Reviews

Barbara Cooper's wonderful book tells the story of the Sudan Interior Mission, an evangelical Christian organization in the Hausa area of Maradi, Niger, and also traces the histories of the various indigenous churches that the Mission gave rise to. A historian by training and profession, Cooper's work is admirably interdisciplinary. She incorporates ethnographic fieldwork, and displays acute sensitivity to the indigenous categories of meaning adopted by her subjects.

* Journal of Religion in Africa *

Barbara Cooper has conducted research in Maradi, Niger, for many years, and this book reveals the depth of her understanding of the complex nature of the community and the interplay within it of factors such as religion, language and ethnicity.

* Bulletin SOAS *

Barbara Cooper has written an extremely rich book, which will appeal to historians, anthropologists, religious scholars, and all others who appreciate good historiography.

* Africa Today *

[T]his is a very rich and interesting work, which portrays the complexities of mission work and deepens the understanding of religious dynamics in West Africa.

* Africa *

Cooper's study is remarkable ... gripping and elegantly written ... [the study] enriches our understanding of religious interaction in Africa.Vol. 44, No. 1 2011

* IJAHS *

This work is history at its best: a unique, welcome addition to current studies of conflicting religio-cultural perspectives, and a treasure trove of historical perspectives on evangelicals in West Africa. 116.1, February 2011

* American Historical Review *

[The author's] mastery of the language, history, and culture of Hausa Niger is unparalleled and her conclusions deserve respect.35.3 July 2007

-- Thomas R. Johnson * MISSIOLOGY: Intnl Review *

This book is an invaluable asset to all those interested in African history, mission, politics, linguistics, and economics.July 2007

-- Musa A.B. Gaiya * University of Jos, Nigeria *

Rich in its coverage. . . . [This study] demonstrates the emergence of a new missiology, in which Africans are central in evangelizing both the global south and the north.Vol. 47.2 2009

-- Ogbu U. Kalu * McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago *

Fascinating historical account. . . . Highly recommended for all interested in African Christianity, missions, history, interfaith dialogue, and faith-based organizations.

* Religious Studies Review *

In all, this research is indeed of good historical and anthropological value. It is an invaluable contribution to Mission Studies, African Studies, and Colonial Studies.

* Journal of Religious History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253222336
Author Barbara M. Cooper
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 635g