Inventing an African Alphabet by Ramon Sarr
Focusing on the Mandombe alphabet and the life-story of its inventor, David Wabeladio Payi, Ramon Sarro combines biography, art, and religion to explore the connections between religious imagination and innovation in Kongo culture. He offers a unique case study of the search for cultural and epistemological independence in the global south.
'A truly fascinating book about a no less fascinating character and his inspired invention of an alphabet! Ramon Sarró explores in original ways the productive tensions between science, art and religionIn doing so, he offers us a brilliant reflection on the very process of human creativity.' Julien Bonhomme, École Normale Supérieure
'Written with compassion, sincerity, and respect, Sarró privileges the voices of Wabeladio Payi and his Congolese interlocutors as the book deftly merges biography, reflection, and ethnography. This intriguing text will shape discussions of identity, religion, Kongo nationalism, and anthropological approaches to creativity and innovation for years to come.' Yolanda Covington-Ward, University of Pittsburgh
'An authentic and significant work. It is ethnographically rooted, ethically correct, and scholarly tested. Sarro breathes new life into Kongo studies. The topic of this book, Mandombe, encapsulates thoughts about Kongo socio-cultural phenomena. A book for those interested in African ontology, history, and savoir-faire, particularly the Kongo.' Adrien N. Ngudiankama, President and Founder of Kongo Academy, Inc.
'A multifaceted exploration of Kimbanguism, Kongo culture and expressions of identity, Sarro examines Wabeladio Payi's system of writing to explore human creativity and epistemology in a religious register. The evocative descriptions and lyrical prose that centre the enquiry around the relationship between Payi and Sarro make this an unusual and beautiful study.' Emma Wild-Wood, University of Edinburgh
'Written with compassion, sincerity, and respect, Sarró privileges the voices of Wabeladio Payi and his Congolese interlocutors as the book deftly merges biography, reflection, and ethnography. This intriguing text will shape discussions of identity, religion, Kongo nationalism, and anthropological approaches to creativity and innovation for years to come.' Yolanda Covington-Ward, University of Pittsburgh
'An authentic and significant work. It is ethnographically rooted, ethically correct, and scholarly tested. Sarro breathes new life into Kongo studies. The topic of this book, Mandombe, encapsulates thoughts about Kongo socio-cultural phenomena. A book for those interested in African ontology, history, and savoir-faire, particularly the Kongo.' Adrien N. Ngudiankama, President and Founder of Kongo Academy, Inc.
'A multifaceted exploration of Kimbanguism, Kongo culture and expressions of identity, Sarro examines Wabeladio Payi's system of writing to explore human creativity and epistemology in a religious register. The evocative descriptions and lyrical prose that centre the enquiry around the relationship between Payi and Sarro make this an unusual and beautiful study.' Emma Wild-Wood, University of Edinburgh
Ramon Sarró is Associate Professor in Social Anthropology of Africa at the University of Oxford. His book The Politics of Religious Change on the Upper Guinea Coast: Iconoclasm Done and Undone received the 2010 Amaury Talbot Prize of the Royal Anthropological Institute. His current research, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, focuses on prophetic imagination in Angola.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781009199490 |
| ISBN 10 | 1009199498 |
| Title | Inventing an African Alphabet |
| Author | Ramon Sarr |
| Series | The International African Library |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2023-02-23 |
| Number of pages | 332 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |