Our Distributed Selves: An Interview with Professor J. Lorand Matory

Abstract

AbstractOn May 16 and 17, 2017, the Transforming Anthropology staff had the pleasure of visiting the “Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic” collection, which features the living art and ritual objects of Dr. J. Lorand Matory, the Lawrence Richardson Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, and also to celebrate the eleventh year of his seminal book, Black Atlantic Religion (Princeton University Press, 2005). During the tour and discussion with Professor Matory, Transforming Anthropology's team was able to explore this extensive showcasing of African and African‐inspired religious artifacts, as well as to delve more deeply into his philosophy of “distributed self.” This two‐day tour and discussion ended with an hour‐long interview with Professor Matory about both his collection and his scholarship on African inspired religions. As part of TA's special forum on race and religion, we highlight an extended excerpt of the interview, conducted by two of the journal's editorial interns, Khytie Brown (KB) and Adrian Hernandez‐Acosta (AHA). The interview centers on how Professor Matory models his philosophy of “live dialogue,” and the role of objects in mediating relationships among people, spirits, and their gods. To listen to the interview, check out the Transforming Anthropology podcast (https://soundcloud.com/transformanthro).