The Sanctified Church

Berkeley: Turtle Island, 1981. First edition. White octavo, Trade Paperback, 107 pages; 24 cm. Exceedingly gentle rubbing to spine head and foot, extremely mild rubbing to rear corners, faint soiling to covers, tight binding, bright pages, else Near Fine(+). Paperback. ISBN: 0913666440

The Sanctified Church is a collection of Hurston's ground-breaking essays on Afro-American folklore, legend, popular mythology, and, in particular, the unique spiritual character of the Soouthern Black Christian Church. Along with preserving the customs, music, speech, and humor of rural Black America, The Sanctified Church introduces us to such extraordinary figures as Mother Catherine, matriarchal founder of a highly personal Voodoo Christian sect; Uncle Monday, healer, conjurer, and powerful herb doctor; and High John de Conquer, the trickster/shaman figure of freedom and laughter still honored in parts of rural Black America today. A pioneering ethnographer and floklore scholar, the great Zora Neale Hurston captured the exuberance, vitality and genius of Black culture with a vividness and authority unmatched by any other writer. (Rear cover). Contents: Father Abraham -- Cures and beliefs -- Mother Catherine -- Uncle Monday -- Daddy Mention -- Characteristics of negro expression -- High John de Conquer -- Spirituals and neo-spirituals -- Conversions and visions -- Shouting -- Sermon -- Sanctified church. African Americans -- Religion, Folklore.