|Listed in category:
Have one to sell?

The Hammer and the Flute: Women, Power, and Spirit Possession by Keller, Mary

by Keller, Mary | HC | VeryGood
US $20.58
ApproximatelyRM 86.79
Condition:
Very Good
May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend ... Read moreabout condition
Breathe easy. Free shipping and returns.
Shipping:
Free Economy Shipping.
Located in: Aurora, Illinois, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Mon, 28 Jul and Fri, 1 Aug to 91768
Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared paymentcleared payment - opens in a new window or tab. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.
Returns:
30 days return. Seller pays for return shipping.
Coverage:
Read item description or contact seller for details. See all detailsSee all details on coverage
(Not eligible for eBay purchase protection programmes)
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:197325749385
Last updated on Jun 20, 2025 05:24:30 MYTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Very Good
A book that has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller Notes
“May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend ...
Binding
Hardcover
Book Title
The Hammer and the Flute
Weight
0 lbs
Product Group
Book
IsTextBook
No
ISBN
9780801867873

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN-10
0801867878
ISBN-13
9780801867873
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1936767

Product Key Features

Number of Pages
304 Pages
Language
English
Publication Name
Hammer and the Flute : Women, Power, and Spirit Possession
Subject
Christianity / History, Christian Theology / Anthropology, Women's Studies, Supernatural
Publication Year
2002
Type
Textbook
Author
Mary Keller
Subject Area
Body, Mind & Spirit, Religion, Social Science
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
1 in
Item Weight
20.2 Oz
Item Length
9.2 in
Item Width
6.7 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Scholarly & Professional
LCCN
2001-002461
TitleLeading
The
Dewey Edition
21
Reviews
"A welcome addition to scholarly literature on spirit possession. It provides an innovative exploration into the agency of women's possessed bodies and the way scholarly representations construct agency." -- Margaret J. Rausch, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, A welcome addition to scholarly literature on spirit possession. It provides an innovative exploration into the agency of women's possessed bodies and the way scholarly representations construct agency., [A] provocative exploration of possession theory... Keller is able to offer not only fresh insight into possession phenomena but also a penetrating critique of the categories and concepts with which it has been theorized., "Keller's argument for a revisioning of agency, women, and possession is important intervention. By bringing together an unusual mix of theorists and case studies, she makes a thoughtful contribution to the study of religion, gender, and post-colonial theory that raises provocative questions for all scholars of religion."--Pamela E. Klassen, History of Religions, "[A] provocative exploration of possession theory... Keller is able to offer not only fresh insight into possession phenomena but also a penetrating critique of the categories and concepts with which it has been theorized."-- Journal of Religion, Keller's argument for a revisioning of agency, women, and possession is important intervention. By bringing together an unusual mix of theorists and case studies, she makes a thoughtful contribution to the study of religion, gender, and post-colonial theory that raises provocative questions for all scholars of religion.
Grade From
College Graduate Student
Illustrated
Yes
Dewey Decimal
291.4/2
Table Of Content
Preface Introduction Part I: Reorienting Possession in Theory 1. Signifying Possession 2. Reorienting Possession 3. Flutes, Hammers, and Mounted Women Part 2: The Work, War, and Play of Possession 4. Work 5. War 6. Play(s) Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index
Synopsis
Feminist theory and postcolonial theory share an interest in developing theoretical frameworks for describing and evaluating subjectivity comparatively, especially with regard to non-autonomous models of agency. As a historian of religions, Mary Keller uses the figure of the "possessed woman" to analyze a subject that is spoken-through rather than speaking and whose will is the will of the ancestor, deity or spirit that wields her to engage the question of agency in a culturally and historically comparative study that recognizes the prominent role possessed women play in their respective traditions. Drawing from the fields of anthropology and comparative psychology, Keller brings the figure of the possessed woman into the heart of contemporary argument as an exemplary model that challenges many Western and feminist assumptions regarding agency. Proposing a new theoretical framework that re-orients scholarship, Keller argues that the subject who is wielded or played, the hammer or the flute, exercises a paradoxical authority--"instrumental agency"--born of their radical receptivity: their power derives from the communities' assessment that they no longer exist as autonomous agents. For Keller, the possessed woman is at once "hammer" and "flute," paradoxically powerful because she has become an instrument of the overpowering will of an ancestor, deity, or spirit. Keller applies the concept of instrumental agency to case studies, providing a new interpretation of each. She begins with contemporary possessions in Malaysia, where women in manufacturing plants were seized by spirits seeking to resacralize the territory. She next looks to wartime Zimbabwe, where female spirit mediums, the Nehanda mhondoro, declared the ancestors' will to fight against colonialism. Finally she provides an imaginative rereading of the performative power of possession by interpreting two plays, Euripides' Bacchae and S. Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk, which feature possessed women as central characters. This book can serve as an excellent introduction to postcolonial and feminist theory for graduate students, while grounding its theory in the analysis of regionally and historically specific moments of time that will be of interest to specialists. It also provides an argument for the evaluation of religious lives and their struggles for meaning and power in the contemporary landscape of critical theory., Award for the Best First Book in the History of Religions from the American Academy of Religion Feminist theory and postcolonial theory share an interest in developing theoretical frameworks for describing and evaluating subjectivity comparatively, especially with regard to non-autonomous models of agency. As a historian of religions, Mary Keller uses the figure of the "possessed woman" to analyze a subject that is spoken-through rather than speaking and whose will is the will of the ancestor, deity or spirit that wields her to engage the question of agency in a culturally and historically comparative study that recognizes the prominent role possessed women play in their respective traditions. Drawing from the fields of anthropology and comparative psychology, Keller brings the figure of the possessed woman into the heart of contemporary argument as an exemplary model that challenges many Western and feminist assumptions regarding agency. Proposing a new theoretical framework that re-orients scholarship, Keller argues that the subject who is wielded or played, the hammer or the flute, exercises a paradoxical authority--"instrumental agency"--born of their radical receptivity: their power derives from the communities' assessment that they no longer exist as autonomous agents. For Keller, the possessed woman is at once "hammer" and "flute," paradoxically powerful because she has become an instrument of the overpowering will of an ancestor, deity, or spirit. Keller applies the concept of instrumental agency to case studies, providing a new interpretation of each. She begins with contemporary possessions in Malaysia, where women in manufacturing plants were seized by spirits seeking to resacralize the territory. She next looks to wartime Zimbabwe, where female spirit mediums, the Nehanda mhondoro, declared the ancestors' will to fight against colonialism. Finally she provides an imaginative rereading of the performative power of possession by interpreting two plays, Euripides' Bacchae and S. Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk, which feature possessed women as central characters. This book can serve as an excellent introduction to postcolonial and feminist theory for graduate students, while grounding its theory in the analysis of regionally and historically specific moments of time that will be of interest to specialists. It also provides an argument for the evaluation of religious lives and their struggles for meaning and power in the contemporary landscape of critical theory.
LC Classification Number
BL482.K45 2001

Item description from the seller

About this seller

ThriftBooks

98.9% positive feedback19.7M items sold

Joined Mar 2015
Just Voted on Newsweek - ThriftBooks ranks #1 America's Best Online Shops 2025 in Office, Electronics & Media sector, Media category!!ThriftBooks is a fully independent seller of used books, having ...
See more

Detailed Seller Ratings

Average for the last 12 months
Accurate description
4.9
Reasonable shipping cost
5.0
Shipping speed
5.0
Communication
4.9

Seller feedback (5,687,509)

All ratings
Positive
Neutral
Negative