Spirits and Letters

"Developing new theoretical perspectives out of sensitive historical and ethnographic research on practices of reading and writing in the Spirit Apostolic Church, this well written and accessible study offers anthropology at its best. Cautioning against simplistic understandings of literacy and textuality that still underpin much work on Christianity, his work offers a substantial intervention into broader debates about religion, media and materiality." * Professor Birgit Meyer, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit "the primary aim of the author lies...in challenging the presuppositions made in the study of African religion - and in this he has admirably succeeded" * H-Net Reviews - Kirsch - provides an excellent introduction, contextualizing his material and his aim of explaining the relationship between 'charisma' and 'institution' in the Spirit Apostolic Church.A" * Choice "The examination of literacy practices presented in this book enables - and hopefully will engender - much thought in a variety of ethnographic domains." * Ethos [The author] demonstrates in this book an extraordinary command of several scholarly literatures and takes up questions that have vexed the social sciences since at least the time of Max Weber. In particular, Kirsch wishes to understand how something as fundamental to the 'religions of the Book' as literacy could be so often overlooked in current anthropological discussions of Christianity in favor of electronic and other media. Kirsch has produced an impressive monograph here, one that ought to be read by Africanist anthropologists, religious studies scholars and by others interested in understanding the meaningful qualities of literacy for all 'peoples of the Book'.A" * Journal of Religion in Africa