Bison Books
The Jesus Road: Kiowas, Christianity, and Indian Hymns
Key Metrics
- Luke Eric Lassiter
- Bison Books
- Paperback
- 9780803280052
- 8.22 X 5.74 X 0.37 inches
- 0.52 pounds
- Religion > Institutions & Organizations
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
Kiowas practice a unique expression of Christianity, a blending that began with the arrival of missionaries on the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation in the 1870s. In these pages, historian Clyde Ellis offers a compelling look at the way in which many Kiowas became Christian over the past century and have woven that faith into their identity. The personal and cultural significance of traditional songs and their close connection to the power of hymns is then illuminated by anthropologist Luke Eric Lassiter. Like traditional Kiowa songs, Christian hymns help restore and minister to the community; they also can be highly individualistic since many are composed and shared by church members themselves at different times in their lives. In the final section of the book Kiowa singer Ralph Kotay tells of the personal meaning and value of the hymns and of the Christian faith in general.
This remarkable, sensitive book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the complexity of Native lives today and offers a subtle yet penetrating look at the legacy of Christianity among Native peoples.
Author Bio
I am professor of humanities and anthropology and Director of the Graduate Humanities Program at Marshall University, where I coordinate interdisciplinary graduate study in cultural, historical, literary, and Appalachian studies. I also coordinate a range of faculty-student collaborative research and creative projects and programs, including the Glenwood Center for Scholarship in the Humanities, for which I am the Co-Director.
I am jointly appointed in the College of Liberal Arts and the doctoral program of the College of Education and Professional Development, and direct graduate projects, theses, and dissertations, as well as teach a broad range of graduate seminars in the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary research methods (including ethnography, qualitative, evaluation, and mixed methods research).
My research interests include ethnographic theory and practice; reciprocal and collaborative research; social memory and oral history; race and ethnicity; folklore, ethnomusicology, and community aesthetics; belief and worldview; collaborative and community-based pedagogies.
Education
Ph.D., Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1995).
B.S., Anthropology and Social Science, Radford University (1990).
Source: Marshall University
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