Samba in the Night. Spiritism in Brazil.
New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1994. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. xviii + 214 pp. Quarter blue cloth with black papered boards and yellow titling to spine; map, bibliography, glossary, index. From the publisher: "Written as an informal first-person narrative, "Samba in the Night" is an absorbing account of an anthropologist's fieldwork and explorations into alternative religions in Brazil, that invites the reader into the mysterious world of spirit mediums, poltergeists, psychic surgery, exorcism and spiritual healing. Spiritism is a vital religious movement with millions of followers who trace their roots to the nineteenth century, when spirit mediums sparked major movements in the United States and France. Hess provides colorful descriptions of rituals and at the same time weaves in a detective story about the complex relations between Spiritist rituals and the rest of their world. Through a patchwork of anecdotes about spirit mediums, doctors, engineers, lawmakers, Jesuits, and past-life therapists, the book offers an introduction to Brazilian religion and society as well as to the art of anthropological fieldwork." Spine ends lightly rubbed. Overall, a tight and bright Near Fine copy in Near Fine dust jacket. (Dust jacket not price clipped.). Item #18293
ISBN: 0231084323
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