SPIRITS AND LETTERS

This book has opened the internal communication system of so-called Spirit-filled churches for academic scrutiny. We can now begin to ask how and why are the Holy Spirit and internal communication becoming the principal tools for control, domination, or democracy in them. · Pneuma For those interested in the social life of the bible and other written materials, this book is sure to surprise...The surprise value of Kirschs work lies in the broad sweep from fine-grained descriptions of individuals bibles to far-reaching theoretical critiques of the anthropology of literary practices and bureaucracy. · Social Anthropology/Anthropologie sociale From relative obscurity, the study of Christianity has grown into a major academic field, to which this book makes an important and timely contribution. It is the first book-length study of literacy practices among African Christians. · JRAI 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. · 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. · 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] d