Do you have a book or two on indigenous American spirituality you might recommend? Any good works on how Christianity is understood by particular indigenous groups, and how their cultures inform Christian practice and faith?
This conversation was a reminder for me of just how flexible and “perennial” Christian practice and doctrine are as people incorporate them into their lives and various cultures. The way I experience Christianity is an export from an ancient Middle Eastern culture and I should not assume that in meeting Christ that my values and culture magically disappeared and were replaced with Hellenized Judean culture of the 1st century; clearly my values transform faith and faith should also challenge my values.
I loved the comment I’ll paraphrase as “Christ was already here before the missionaries arrived.” Beautiful.
I asked David for such recommendations & he mentioned Waters's Book of the Hopi, Demallie & Black Elk's Sixth Grandfather, & Grinnell's Cheyenne Indians, all of which I bought & haven't read.
Read Black Elk, but read The Sixth Grandfather rather than Black Elk Speaks (the latter was an extract of the former, one more congenial to white American culture at the time).
Another Lakota medicine man, Archie Fire Lame Deer, wrote Gift of Power, which is worthwhile..
The Book of the Hopi by Frank Water
Frank Cushing’s books on the Zuni
The World of the Crow Indians by Rodney Frey
God is Red by Vine Deloria Jr.
Walter Grinnell’s big two volume work on the Cheyenne is still unsurpassed.
Dale Blake and Evelyn Wolfson are both very good on Inuit religion and myth.
Anthony Wonderly, Oneida Iroquois Foklore.
Irving Goldman, The Mouth of Heaven (on the Kwakiutl)
Matt Clayton on Aztec myth and religion
The Popol Vuh, of course, and the Book of Chilam Balam
H.E.M. Braakhuis’s roughly twenty billion books on the Maya
This is just suirface-scratching, obviously. Every first nation, every tribe, every clan has had some scholarly work done on it.
I hope it's ok to make a humble recommendation of mine. The Four Visions Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston. He's a Choctaw elder, a zen practitioner, and an episcopal bishop.
Looks to be a great follow up to your ABC interview, which I found a rewarding listen.
Do you have a book or two on indigenous American spirituality you might recommend? Any good works on how Christianity is understood by particular indigenous groups, and how their cultures inform Christian practice and faith?
This conversation was a reminder for me of just how flexible and “perennial” Christian practice and doctrine are as people incorporate them into their lives and various cultures. The way I experience Christianity is an export from an ancient Middle Eastern culture and I should not assume that in meeting Christ that my values and culture magically disappeared and were replaced with Hellenized Judean culture of the 1st century; clearly my values transform faith and faith should also challenge my values.
I loved the comment I’ll paraphrase as “Christ was already here before the missionaries arrived.” Beautiful.
I asked David for such recommendations & he mentioned Waters's Book of the Hopi, Demallie & Black Elk's Sixth Grandfather, & Grinnell's Cheyenne Indians, all of which I bought & haven't read.
Actually the list I sent you was:.
Read Black Elk, but read The Sixth Grandfather rather than Black Elk Speaks (the latter was an extract of the former, one more congenial to white American culture at the time).
Another Lakota medicine man, Archie Fire Lame Deer, wrote Gift of Power, which is worthwhile..
The Book of the Hopi by Frank Water
Frank Cushing’s books on the Zuni
The World of the Crow Indians by Rodney Frey
God is Red by Vine Deloria Jr.
Walter Grinnell’s big two volume work on the Cheyenne is still unsurpassed.
Dale Blake and Evelyn Wolfson are both very good on Inuit religion and myth.
Anthony Wonderly, Oneida Iroquois Foklore.
Irving Goldman, The Mouth of Heaven (on the Kwakiutl)
Matt Clayton on Aztec myth and religion
The Popol Vuh, of course, and the Book of Chilam Balam
H.E.M. Braakhuis’s roughly twenty billion books on the Maya
This is just suirface-scratching, obviously. Every first nation, every tribe, every clan has had some scholarly work done on it.
I would add Joseph Brown’s Teaching Spirits
Thanks, nice to have options.
Oh, that's right, I just ordered the ones I mentioned & figured to move on to others once I'd read those. But I have not read them :(
I hope it's ok to make a humble recommendation of mine. The Four Visions Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston. He's a Choctaw elder, a zen practitioner, and an episcopal bishop.
Whoa! Well said!
This was riveting. Thanks so much! And to your fellow conversationalists.
thanks for sharing ill have to check it out. I have friends who've already sent me it as well.