Description: In recent decades, individualistic and secular ways of participating in the world have grown pervasive in Western society. This evolution has compelled shifts in Indian Country as well. In After the Theft of the Sacred, Native American literature scholar Reginald Dyck investigates these shifts, and the resulting complexities of contemporary Indigenous religious and spiritual experiences. Drawing on a wide range of works by well-known Indigenous authors, he shows how Native communities and characters use their lived religions to make sense of an increasingly fragmented and urban world.
Brief description: Reginal Dyck is Professor of English at Capital University. His research and writing focus on the work of Native American authors, including Greg Sarris.
Review Quotes: "After the Theft of the Sacred provides an important examination of Native American literature through the lens of religious studies. It makes the strong case that Native American literature in general cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of the socioreligious imaginary."--Lawrence W. Gross (Anishinaabe), author of Anishinaabe Ways of Knowing and Being