World of the Spirits

During the course of the twentieth century the Christian faith made massive inroads into areas dominated by traditional and folk religions. In many cases, however, varieties of syncretism have developed, both in the countries of origin and in the West.

David Burnett's comprehensive sutdy covers African, Indian, Polynesian, Australian, Asian and South American forms of traditional religion, together with Western expressions of these forms of faith. The topics covered include:

-Cosmology

-Gods and spirits

-Ancestor worship

-Taboo and pollution

-Rites of passage

-Witchcraft, sorcery and magic

-Methods of divination

-Spirit possession

-Shamans and healers

-Language, translation and contact with Europeans

-Religious syncretism

-Slave religion

-Contemporary religious movements

This is a wholly rewritten and expanded version of the author's Unearthly Powers, first published in 1988. It will replace the earlier book as the standard text for all those studying or expecting to minister in areas of traditional and folk religions.