For the Seneca Iroquois Indians; song is a crucial means of renewing both medicine and heritage. Two or three times a year; the Little Water Medicine Society of western New York meets to renew the potency of its medicine bundles through singing. These bundles have been inherited from eighteenth century Iroquois war parties; handed down from generation to generation. In this long-awaited book; William N. Fenton describes the remarkable ceremonies of one of the least recorded but most significant medicine societies of the Iroquois Indians.Most of the Senecas who were members of the Little Water Society; or Society of Shamans; have passed away; and their knowledge of ceremonial healing and spiritual renewal is fading. Fenton has written this book to preserve knowledge of the ceremonies and songs for the Iroquois people and as a contribution to anthropology; folklore; ethnomusicology; and American Indian studies. In The Little Water Medicine Society of the Senecas; he presents his original 1933 fieldwork; along with details from the published and unpublished works of other researchers; to describe rituals; poetry; and songs drawn from his more than six decades of research among the Six Nations.
#328039 in Books B H Publishing Group 2004-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.40 x .94 x 5.50l; .95 #File Name: 080542590X368 pagesPerspectives on Church Government Five Views of Church Polity
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Reasonable Introduction with Some FlawsBy Gabriel WilliamsA good introduction on the differences in church polity among Protestants. I think most readers will probably get the impression that the publisher is biased towards Congregationalism since three of the five perspectives deal with some form of it. I would have loved a more rigorous defense of Episcopalianism. In my view; Paul Zahl did the worst job in presenting the case for Episcopalianism; he doesn't really present an argument for the Episcopal form of government; but he seems to just a give a history of the Anglican church. I was particularly impressed with Reymond's defense of Presbyterianism; I felt that he presented the best defense for his position. For whatever reason; Danny Akin was given the task to present the single-elder form of congregationalism; even though he doesn't actually favor the position. All in all; it was a good introduction.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Perspectives is effective at presenting the arguments for and against ...By Barry R.Perspectives is effective at presenting the arguments for and against the different church polities that it examines. In general the essays are done in sufficient depth to understand the positions; with effective references; and the responses help to identify particular challenges to the positions that are stated in the essays. As a person not that familiar with church polity I found it helpful0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good ResourceBy Randy ReddI appreciate the breadth of coverage that the authors (and editors) gave to each of the government styles included in the book. These five views do indeed compass the prevailing styles currently used in church polity. The reader is given adequate description as well as references for each style. By having different authors represent each style; the reader gets to see each style presented in a complete; authoritative manner. This legitimizes the material presented. In the end; the reader has a valid and valuable resource for their library.
