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Editorial

Editorial EDITORIAL The African Association for the Study of Religions is now well estab- lished as a body affiliated to the International Association for the History of Religion. In terms of time it is a new arrival in the field in com- parison with this Journal, but it seems sensible that the two should now be linked. The Association recognises the joumars unique role as a forum for discussion and it will henceforth be an additional sponsor. The Journal, however, retains its full editorial independence and equal openness to all contributors whether or not they are members of the Association. David Westerlund of the University of Uppsala, the Association's Publications Officer, will join the editorial board of which two of the Association's founders, Professors Jacob Olupona and Rosalind Hackett, are already members. It is much to be hoped that in this way the ,?ournal will become still better known and accessible to a wider range of contributors, and we may hope for many new ventures aris- ing from this collaboration. Divination, in one form or another, is central to much African reli- gious practice as a vehicle for the continuous revelation of useful infor- mation. The May 1995 issue of the Journal contained important stud- ies of two wide-ranging systems-Van Binsbergen on Four-Tablet and Janzen on Ngoma. We return to the subject now with three articles which, varying as they are in area and methodology, share a common concern not only to throw light on the contemporary practice of divin- atory systems but also on their wider connections. All three suggest Islamic links, whether of a fairly local or more long-distance sort. They demonstrate once more that for the analysis of things pretty basic to African tradition it may still be necessary to make quite precise con- nections with an almost worldwide history and geography of religion including systems of thought linked to astrology. The world of divination is a vast and varied one. If Aguilar describes a highly local and unusual form and Shaw focuses upon its interaction with current national politics, Van Binsbergen's two articles unveil an enterprise of detective work which in its combination of local detail and an inter-continental network stretching across the centuries is likely to become a contribution of quite unusual significance for the rewriting of the history of African religion in a larger, yet defined, context. One can but look forward with eagerness to the completion of this project. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Religion in Africa Brill

Editorial

Journal of Religion in Africa , Volume 26 (1): 1 – Jan 1, 1996
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1996 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0022-4200
eISSN
1570-0666
DOI
10.1163/157006696X00325
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

EDITORIAL The African Association for the Study of Religions is now well estab- lished as a body affiliated to the International Association for the History of Religion. In terms of time it is a new arrival in the field in com- parison with this Journal, but it seems sensible that the two should now be linked. The Association recognises the joumars unique role as a forum for discussion and it will henceforth be an additional sponsor. The Journal, however, retains its full editorial independence and equal openness to all contributors whether or not they are members of the Association. David Westerlund of the University of Uppsala, the Association's Publications Officer, will join the editorial board of which two of the Association's founders, Professors Jacob Olupona and Rosalind Hackett, are already members. It is much to be hoped that in this way the ,?ournal will become still better known and accessible to a wider range of contributors, and we may hope for many new ventures aris- ing from this collaboration. Divination, in one form or another, is central to much African reli- gious practice as a vehicle for the continuous revelation of useful infor- mation. The May 1995 issue of the Journal contained important stud- ies of two wide-ranging systems-Van Binsbergen on Four-Tablet and Janzen on Ngoma. We return to the subject now with three articles which, varying as they are in area and methodology, share a common concern not only to throw light on the contemporary practice of divin- atory systems but also on their wider connections. All three suggest Islamic links, whether of a fairly local or more long-distance sort. They demonstrate once more that for the analysis of things pretty basic to African tradition it may still be necessary to make quite precise con- nections with an almost worldwide history and geography of religion including systems of thought linked to astrology. The world of divination is a vast and varied one. If Aguilar describes a highly local and unusual form and Shaw focuses upon its interaction with current national politics, Van Binsbergen's two articles unveil an enterprise of detective work which in its combination of local detail and an inter-continental network stretching across the centuries is likely to become a contribution of quite unusual significance for the rewriting of the history of African religion in a larger, yet defined, context. One can but look forward with eagerness to the completion of this project.

Journal

Journal of Religion in Africa – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1996

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