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West Africa's Women of God
Professor Robert Baum's new book, West Africa's Women of God: Alinesitoué and the Diola Prophetic Tradition, just published by Indiana University Press, examines the history of direct revelation from Emitai, the Supreme Being, which has been central to the Diola religion from before European colonization to the present day. He charts the evolution of this movement from its origins as an exclusively male tradition to one that is largely female, and traces the response of Diola to the distinct challenges presented by conquest, colonial rule, and the post-colonial era. Looking specifically at the work of the most famous Diola woman prophet, Alinesitoué, Baum addresses the history of prophecy in West Africa and its impact on colonialism, the development of local religious traditions, and the role of women in religious communities.