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Abstract

This paper offers an appreciation of Michael Lambek's (1993) book Knowledge and Practice in Mayotte. It discusses, in particular, the way in which Islamic knowledge on this remote island of the Indian Ocean is framed and contextualized by knowledge stemming from other sources, in particular astrology and spirit possession. This analysis privileges human agency and practical wisdom over formal religious or cultural systems of belief as a focus of anthropological study, and thus represents an important counter to some contemporary work which over-emphasizes a holistic concept of 'culture'. It is suggested that Lambek's analysis could be further developed along historical lines to reveal subtle aspects of the spread of Islam in this region over time.

Keywords

culture divination Islam knowledge spirit possession

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Lambek and His Teachers

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