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Studies in Religion and Culture
Savage Systems: Colonialism and Comparative Religion in Southern Africa
Savage Systems examines the emergence of the concepts of "religion"and "religions" on colonial frontiers. The book offers a detailed analysis of the ways in which European travelers, missionaries, settlers, and government agents, as well as indigenous Africans, engaged in the comparison of alternative religious ways of life as one dimension of intercultural contact. Focusing primarily on ninteenth-century frontier relations, David Chidester demonstrates that the terms and conditions for comparison--including a discrouse about "otherness" that were established during this period still remains. A volume in the series Studies in Religion and Culture
324 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
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About the author
David Chidester
32 books12 followersDavid Chidester is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Cape Town.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2020
This is an innovative work of post-colonial postmodern theory. It is charged with plenty of examples and a plethora of information and sources, but does tend to get repetitive. For the weary grad student looking to get the gist of this work for a seminar, read the introductory pages, first and last chapters.
Chidester’s historiography is lackluster when it comes to dealing with the impact of racism and colonial law as it pertains the manner in which indigenous Africans were being treated; its all religion all the way down on this one! He also neglects academic sources’ impact on creating knowledge of religions from the 17th-19th centuries, but instead focuses on missionaries (who wrote to evangelize and so tore down indigenous religions), colonial government officials (writing to dominate), and travelers (writing to shock and sell rather than relate accurate information). One can’t escape their impact on the formulation of public opinion, however, so like a true Foucaultian, he makes a huge deal about them. I tend to agree that their writings were constructive of a narrative up to a point while scholars like Ivan Strenski severely criticized Chidester for this methodology.
The best point Chidester makes is the notion that none of these sources were gathering information on religion accurately at all—a serious detriment to the formation of later anthropological theories on human cognition, ritual, and religion—and that intercultural exchange was actually producing new religious landscapes! Assuredly, the interaction between colonists and Africans created new paradigms of both African religions and Christianity at the time, and this negotiation of religion was evaluated and called “African religion.” Unfortunately, Chidester does not give us any information on the reality of African religions to see what colonialists were getting wrong at the time, and one is left to wonder if any of the writings of the time can be used as accurate source material. Of course, this is always the loaded supposition of postmodern theory.
Chidester’s historiography is lackluster when it comes to dealing with the impact of racism and colonial law as it pertains the manner in which indigenous Africans were being treated; its all religion all the way down on this one! He also neglects academic sources’ impact on creating knowledge of religions from the 17th-19th centuries, but instead focuses on missionaries (who wrote to evangelize and so tore down indigenous religions), colonial government officials (writing to dominate), and travelers (writing to shock and sell rather than relate accurate information). One can’t escape their impact on the formulation of public opinion, however, so like a true Foucaultian, he makes a huge deal about them. I tend to agree that their writings were constructive of a narrative up to a point while scholars like Ivan Strenski severely criticized Chidester for this methodology.
The best point Chidester makes is the notion that none of these sources were gathering information on religion accurately at all—a serious detriment to the formation of later anthropological theories on human cognition, ritual, and religion—and that intercultural exchange was actually producing new religious landscapes! Assuredly, the interaction between colonists and Africans created new paradigms of both African religions and Christianity at the time, and this negotiation of religion was evaluated and called “African religion.” Unfortunately, Chidester does not give us any information on the reality of African religions to see what colonialists were getting wrong at the time, and one is left to wonder if any of the writings of the time can be used as accurate source material. Of course, this is always the loaded supposition of postmodern theory.
October 22, 2017
Although the last few pages of this book retreat into a defense of comparative religious analysis, the bulk of its argument and its source material point out the real flaws underwriting such conceptions. Chid ester's historical documentation is various and resourceful. The book is well written and remains thoroughly relevant in 2017.
March 11, 2010
I LOVED this one. Its a well researched, thought out account of the evolution of colonization in South Africa--from fronterialist research, to imperialism, and eventually apartheid.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews