The Fetish Revisited

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Through an extensive examination of Afro-Atlantic religions, J. Lorand Matory challenges the conventional European interpretations of African gods as mere symbols of irrationality. He argues that these deities possess their own rational social logic, comparable to the theories of Marx and Freud. Drawing on decades of fieldwork, Matory reveals how these religious practices and beliefs reflect the culturally specific and materially grounded nature of both African spirituality and European social theories. This work critiques the misrepresentations in European thought while addressing the interconnectedness of race and collective action.