Choice-Rezension

This long-overdue and much-needed study of the relationship between spiritual belief and visual expression in Africa is part of the "Religion and the Arts Series," which also covers Oceanic religions, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism. Attacking the long-standing Western art historical tradition of formal analysis with minimal concern for content or context, Hackett (religious studies, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville) uses existing monographs on African art and religion to make a strong case for more comprehensive analyses of African art works to discover their full meaning and thereby increase our perception of their beauty. With 119 illustrations ranging from museum and field photographs to sketches and four color plates, plus an excellent list and map locating the ethnic groups mentioned, she chooses to analyze by theme rather than by area, beginning with the spiritual aspects of creating art; the spirit world; ethnic and cosmic concepts; initiation and secret societies; magical art works; shrines; rituals and symbols of death; and a final chapter on the interplay among traditional religions, Islam, Christianity, and the globalization of the arts via tourism and the media. This thematic approach is sometimes confusing as parallels are found between the arts of widely dispersed peoples having little else in common. Even so, the book adds depth to our appreciation of African art. Upper-division undergraduate and up. D. J. Crowley; University of California, Davis