African Gods Book

In African cultures, the spiritual and the physical exist in close communion. This relationship explains many aspects of African societies. The connection between the natural and the supernatural, the visible and the invisible, and the human and the divine, is maintained in a state of equilibrium through prayer and ritual. These representations of the divine forces on Earth occupy a central place in African society. Juju priests, shamans, and healers are not only the guardians of tradition, but also the pillars of African civilizations. They serve as doctors, priests, performers, and teachers. As mediums between the spiritual and the earthly worlds, they embody the soul of Africa itself. Daniel Laine presents a vivid photographic portrayal of these men and women as they perform exorcisms, dances, and other rituals of African mysticism. Detailed captions elucidate the vivid photographs and an introduction places these traditions into context. A spiritual journey through twelve African countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Congo, Gabon and Uganda), African Gods is as visually stunning as it is enlightening.

David McClelland - Library Journal

To page through these 130 sumptuous color photographs of African religious ceremonies is to be admitted as a privileged observer of exotic rites in a romantic, far-off place. If this raises the hackles of postcolonial critics (a sometimes tiresome lot), it shouldn't. Yes, French photographer Lainé (African Kings) fell under the sway of Africa's visual lushness, but his work in West Africa, South Africa, and parts of East Africa is a sensitive and careful portrait of Christian worshippers, vodun practitioners, traditional oracles and priests, and believers of diverse sorts. The full-page photos are printed with an explanatory text, while three short essays by Nathan (clinical & pathological psychology, Univ. of Paris), Anne Stamm (ethnology, Univ. of Paris), and priest and anthropologist Pierre Saulnier discuss vodun and African religious rituals. For admirers of artistic photography, the book is an end unto itself, while anthropologists will find it a good starting point for investigating specific rituals. Recommended for art, public, and academic libraries.