The Archangel Michael in Africa: History, Cult and Persona

Description

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand angels, focusing on Africa and the cult and persona of the Archangel Michael. Traditional methods in the study of religion including philology, papyrology, art and iconography, anthropology, history, and psychology are combined with methodologies deriving from memory studies, graphic design, art education, and semiotics. Chapters explore both historical and contemporary case studies from Coptic Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and South Africa, providing a comparative perspective on the Archangel Michael. The book contains 25 images, and further images can be found on the book's webpage. Innovative in both its methodologies and geographical focus, this book is an important contribution to the study of religion and art, Christianity in Africa, and Coptic studies. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Contents Figures Maps Acknowledgments Contributors Part One On Angels and Michael in Africa 1 The African Context Approaching Africa Four regions in Africa Christianity and the angels The contents 2 On the Category of Angels Introduction From the ancient Near East to contemporary New Age Between polytheism and monotheism Between theology and lived religion Angels and the human turn in religion Angels in Egypt: interaction and identification The success formula of angels 3 Michael: Persona and Cult among African Christians African Christianity Persona Veneration of Michael among African Christians today Conclusion Part Two The Archangel Michael in Coptic Egypt Introduction: Christian Egypt 4 The Archangel Michael as Psychopomp in Christian Iconography in Egypt Introduction Psychopomps in Graeco-Roman Egypt Michael and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary The tenth-century Dormition in Deir al-Surian The thirteenth-century Dormition Iconological observations Michael-Christ as psychopomp? Michael as psychopomp for others Conclusion 5 On the Liturgical Memories of the Archangel Michael in the Coptic Church and Their Link with the Nile’s Rise: Some Reflections Introduction The sources Discussion Conclusion 6 Textual Fluidity and Monastic Fanfiction: The Case of the Investiture of the Archangel Michael in Coptic Egypt1 The text(s) The manuscripts Transmission history The fall of the devil The envy of the little disciples and the stoning of the devil John the Baptist Mutable stability and collaborative writing and rewriting Liturgical context The Investiture of Michael as monastic fanfiction The character of the Archangel Michael in the Investiture of Michael Part Three The Archangel Michaelin Christian Nubia Introduction: Christian Nubia 7 Representations of the Archangel Michael in Wall Paintings from Medieval Nubia Introduction Criteria for the identifi cation of the Archangel Michael in Nubian wall painting Representations of the Archangel Michael in Nubia Securely identified murals of the Archangel Michael Text accompanying the mural Text behind the mural Analogous representations Doubtful identifications of the Archangel Michael Conclusion 8 The Position of the Archangel Michael within the Celestial Hierarchy: Some Aspects of the Manifestation of His Cult in Nubian Painting Introduction The archistrategos The Investiture of the Archangel Michael from Old Dongola Psychopompos The image of the Archangel Michael from Sonqi Tino Michael as a type of Christ The protector of the Nubian people A demon tamer Conclusion Part Four The Archangel Michael in Christian Ethiopia Introduction: Christian Ethiopia 9 Relationships with the Archangel Michael: Materiality and Healing among Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Contemporary Addis Ababa Holy water healing in Addis Ababa An eschatological view of angels Relationships with Michael Michael’s role in the hierarchy of superhumans Distant God – close angels Conclusion 10 The Archangel Michael: An Everyday Popular Saint in Ethiopia1 Introduction The Dərsan ä Mika ʾ el Popularity of the Dərsanä Mikaʾel Popular mediating miraculous Michael The miracle in Ethiopic literature as a vehicle for popular religious praxis The two versions of the təʾəmərt (“miracle”) of Michael for the month of Hamle Conclusion Part Five The Archangel Michael in South Africa Introduction: South Africa 11 “Branded” St. Michael: A View from Pretoria on the Archangel’s Position in South African Consumer Culture Introduction: author’s situated-ness and positionality Methodology: a historico-semiotic quest Imagining places as purposeful spaces: churches, towns, and Google Maps1 Good health and good education Shopping according to “The Gospel of St. Michael” Pendants and protection Conclusion: seeing through Saint Michael 12 The Presence and Absence of the Archangel Michael in South Africa Introduction Michael the Archangel: fragmented images, captured in glass The role of Michael as a hero-leader The Voortrekkers The presence of the Ungeheuer motif at the Voortrekker Monument Conclusion 13 The Archangel Michael in Limpopo: The Sculptor Jackson Hlungwani and the Angel-Star of the Ngoma Lungundu Epic Introduction Jackson Hlungwani: sculptor and priest Jackson Hlungwani builds his New Jerusalem Michael Star The Archangel Michael in the Limpopo/Zimbabwean cosmology and mythology, and the Lemba/Venda Ngoma Lungundu Conclusion Appendix: Some Thoughts on How I Came to Michael, or How He Came to Me Notes Bibliography Index