Page 68 - SoMJ Vol 74 - No 1, 2021

58 The Society of Malaŵi Journal

passage about what there might be in the Charismatic movement that strikes a
chord with traditional African religious belief and spirituality in contemporary
Malawi, but less is said about the interface between traditional beliefs and
practices and those brought in from the West in earlier times. There is also much
more detailed attention paid to modern new churches and movements than to the
African Independent Churches which formed in the colonial period and which
generally did more to try to fit the Christian faith into an African context than did
the mainstream churches. Little too is said about the considerable effects which
Christian churches and Muslim communities have had on each other throughout
history in Malawi.
A Malawi Church History is nonetheless a book of monumental
importance. Though a great deal has been written previously about many aspects
of the subject, this is the first book to attempt to deal with it in its entirety. It will
deservedly be a standard text on the subject for a considerable time, the
authoritative course book on Malawian church history at tertiary level, for which
it was designed, and a ‘must have’ for academic libraries worldwide. Not only
does it provide the context for understanding particular churches, people,
movements, events and periods, it also gives a baseline for further research, which
will be much assisted by the extensive citing of sources and the suggestions for
further reading it contains. While its focus is on churches, such has been their
influence on so many aspects of the history of Malawi that the book will be of
great value to anyone who is interested in understanding the nation and what has
helped to make it what it is.

Book Publication Notice:

Melvin Page. Chiwaya War Voices:
Malawian Oral Histories of the Great War in Africa.
The Great War in Africa Association is pleased to announce publication
of Chiwaya War Voices: Malawian Oral Histories of the Great War in Africa,
(dedicated in memory of George Shepperson). These two volumes of interview
transcripts— collected and compiled by Professor Melvin E. Page—is the largest
collection of oral history testimonies regarding the First World War on the
continent yet published.
The one hundred forty interviews offer memories from askari, carriers,
camp followers, and ordinary citizens—male and female—as well as their
descendants. Most were recorded between 1972 and 1974, with a few additional
interviews undertaken in 1991, and are presented in this English language
collection with minimal editing. Full details concerning availability of this
significant primary source collection may be found at:
https://gweaa.com/product/chiwaya-war-voices-2-vols-melvin-e-page/