Prophets of the Great Spirit - Annotated by Alfred Cave (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Prophets of the Great Spirit offers an in-depth look at the work of a diverse group of Native American visionaries who forged new, syncretic religious movements that provided their peoples with the ideological means to resist white domination. By blending ideas borrowed from Christianity with traditional beliefs, they transformed "high" gods or a distant and aloof creator into a powerful, activist deity that came to be called the Great Spirit. These revitalization leaders sought to regain the favor of the Great Spirit through reforms within their societies and the inauguration of new ritual practices.

Among the prophets included in this study are the Delaware Neolin, the Shawnee Tenkswatawa, the Creek "Red Stick" prophets, the Seneca Handsome Lake, and the Kickapoo Kenekuk. Covering more than a century, from the early 1700s through the Kickapoo Indian removal of the Jacksonian Era, the prophets of the Great Spirit sometimes preached armed resistance but more often used nonviolent strategies to resist white cultural domination. Some prophets rejected virtually all aspects of Euro-American culture. Others sought to assure the survival of their culture through selective adaptation.

Alfred A. Cave explains the conditions giving rise to the millenarian movements in detail and skillfully illuminates the key histories, personalities, and legacies of the movement. Weaving an array of sources into a compelling narrative, he captures the diversity of these prophets and their commitment to the common goal of Native American survival.

Review Quotes

"Prophets of the Great Spirit provides a useful overview of a rich and varied historiography. . . . For readers and students interested in the broader history of eastern North America, Cave illustrates important themes in the ongoing struggle of First Peoples to resist the United States' expansion westward."--James Taylor Carson, Michigan Historical Review-- (6/18/2007 12:00:00 AM)

"[Prophets of the Great Spirit] does a find job of describing prophet-led movements among the Delaware, Shawnee, Muskogee, Seneca, and Kickapoo peoples. . . . Cave's book arrives at an opportune time and provides a useful synthesis." --Joel W. Martin, Journal of American History
-- (7/16/2007 12:00:00 AM)

"A superb text to introduce undergraduates to the activities and beliefs of some of Native North America's most important spiritual figures....[Alfred Cave's] careful study of the rise of the 'Great Spirit' as a source of spiritual comfort among eastern woodlands prophets, enhances our understanding of prophetic leadership. . . . Prophets of the Great Spirit is the best of its kind." --Mark A. Nicholas, Journal of Military History-- (8/29/2007 12:00:00 AM)

"At multiple points in Prophets, Cave demonstrates his historiographical acumen. . . . Cave's treatments, though, of Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh's efforts is perhaps the book's most informative historiographical contribution. . . . Cave's is an admirable text. It is well researched and finely written. To be sure, then, Prophets of the Great Spirit is a highly serviceable and commendable introduction for any student of Native American revitalization movements, Native American history and regions, and early American history."--Brendan Q. Swagerty, Journal of Religion
-- (1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"In this excellent, enjoyable work, Cave explores how a series of connected religious movements led by dynamic prophets swept through Indian groups in eastern North America between 1744 and 1835. . . . Cave's book will be useful to students of religion as well as Native American history."--Choice

About the Author

Alfred A. Cave is a professor of history at the University of Toledo. He is the author of The Pequot War.