Prophet Harris: The "Black Elijah" of West Africa"Prophet Harris, The "Black Elijah" of West Africa" offers the only comprehensive study of the thought of William Wade Harris, the Glebo (Liberia) loyalist whose prophetic mission from 1910-29 moved tens of thousands of West Africans out of traditional religion into the stream of Christianity and modernization, particularly in the Ivory Coast. It reviews that unparalleled breakthrough, thoroughly examines traditional African, Western missionary and colonial influences which helped determine religious innovation and shape his vocation as prophet of Christ's reign of peace and prosperity. Heretofore unused sources, enriched by documents and photos, expose biblical eschatological and messianic dynamics which tied Harris' words, symbols and charisma together in a holistic African Christianity. The source of long-standing contentions between Ivoirian Harrists, Methodists and Catholics is uncovered in the well-intentioned but changing colonial and missionary responses to his impact. |
Contents
The prophetic mission | 3 |
The roots of the Prophet Harris | 27 |
Preprophetic adulthood I 18811899 | 57 |
Preprophetic adulthood II 18991910 | 77 |
The trancevisitation of 1910 | 105 |
Illustrations IIX | 112 |
Biblical eschatology | 133 |
Patterns in Biblical understanding | 154 |
Spiritual phenomena as thought patterns | 174 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abidjan administration African Americo-Liberian Amos-Djoro Angel Gabriel Angoulvant Assinie authority Axim baptism baptized Benoît Notes Benoît Report Bible biblical Billy Bingerville Bishop Ferguson Blyden called Cape Palmas catechist Cavalla Christian cited colonial conversion Côte d'Ivoire cross ECHS Archives Edward Wilmot Blyden Elijah Episcopal Church Episcopalian eschatological Father Harrington Father Hartz fetishes French Glebo Gold Coast Gorju governor Grand Bassam Grand Lahou Grebo Half Assinie Haliburton Harris's Harrist Church Hayford healing Ibid interpretation Ivory Coast Jacqueville Jesus Christ John Ahui Kingdom Kraffy kruboy later Le Prophète Liberia London Lowrie Methodist Church Methodist missionaries ministry mission missionary Monrovia movement Paris pattern peace Petit Bassam Platt political polygamy prayer preaching prison Prophet Harris Protestant religion religious Roman Catholic seems Seton Sierra Leone spirit Spring Hill teaching Testament trance trance-visitation understanding village Wesleyan West Africa Western William Wadé Harris word wrote