Christian Moderns Freedom and Fetish in the Mission Encounter
Across much of the postcolonial world, Christianity has often become inseparable from ideas and practices linking the concept of modernity to that of human emancipation. To explore these links, Webb Keane undertakes a rich ethnographic study of the century-long encounter, from the colonial Dutch East Indies to post-independence Indonesia, among Calvinist missionaries, their converts, and those who resist conversion. Keane's analysis of their struggles over such things as prayers, offerings, and the value of money challenges familiar notions about agency. Through its exploration of language, ma
Comparative studies
1 online resource (339 p.).
9781282772021, 9786612772023, 9780520939219, 9781433700064, 1282772023, 6612772026, 0520939212, 1433700069
1162220183
Illustrations; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part I. Locating Protestantism; 1 Religion's Reach; 2 Beliefs, Words, and Selves; 3 Religion, Culture, and the Colonies; 4 Conversion's Histories; Part II. Fetishisms; 5 Umbu Neka's Conversion; 6 Fetishism and the Word; 7 Modern Sincerity; 8 Materialism, Missionaries, and Modern Subjects; Part III Purifications; 9 Text, Act, Objectifications; 10 Money Is No Object; Afterword; References; Index
Description based upon print version of record
English