FILM RE 1’IE WS 101 1

munity, curing from social and physical ills, which they see as related, and new dignity on African terms meaningful through amalgama- tion of Christian and African symbols and beliefs.

Much footage is devoted to a few contrasting churches, such as the Jericho Christian Church of Swaziland, the Maria Legio of Kenya, the Aladura and followers of the Prophet Harris in West Africa, and Kimbanguists of Zai’re (4- million strong), the last by far the most sophisticated in organization and beliefs.

I warmly recommend this film for teaching courses in Africa, religion, or social change. My own class in comparative religion was cap- tivated. Although 1 thoroughly enjoyed this as a useful teaching device, the survey approach, while indicating the diverse and widespread nature of these churches, prevents any one church from appearing entirely coherent ideologically or socially. Furthermore, while there is reference to how these groups were persecuted under colonial rule, there is no sug- gestion that many remain sources of suspicion and hostility for new African states because they continue to represent attempts at social and moral autonomy counter to the hegemony of these governments. Finally, I must note that the distributors enclose a brief instructional supple- ment that is disappointing. I t cites Ogot’s and Welbourn’s monograph on the Kenya churches, but makes no mention of Halliburton’s study of the Prophet Harris, Sundkler’s classic studies of South African churches, Martin’s study of Kim- bangu. or Turner’s and Peel’s studies of Aladura, just to mention key works on churches emphasized in the film. No one expects a small supplemental treatise, but as Tim Asch, John Marshall, Napolean Chagnon, and others long ago made clear, such supplements can make all the difference: this film is too good not to merit a better one.

A Zoroastrian Ritual: The Yasna. 1982. Pro- duced and directed by James w. Boyd and William R. Darrow. 31 minutes, 25 seconds, color, videotape. Colorado State University, Of- fice of Instructional Services, Ft. Collins, CO 80523.

William 0. Beeman Brown University

This videotape may constitute the first recording on tape or film of Zoroastrian ritual,

and as such it is of intrinsic interest. However, this is not a tape designed to introduce novices to Zoroastrianism or to the rituals of that religion. Rather it is an unadorned performance of the Yasna provided in minute detail with almost no interpretive commentary whatsoever. Some commentary is supplied by the Zoroastri- an priest, Firoze M. Kotwal of Bombay, who, before the ceremony begins, speaks briefly on the power and effectiveness of the priest in car- rying out the ritual, but the viewer is assumed to have basic knowledge of Zoroastrianism before viewing the tape.

In many ways the ritual as performed for the camera is far clearer than one would be able to see in a Zoroastrian temple. Care is taken to provide close-up shots of the objects used in worship, many of which are minute and not easily seen. However, the tape necessarily trun- cates the ceremony, eliminating approximately two and a half hours of chanting of sacred hymns by the chief priest (which he performs sitting in a stationary position).

For students of comparative religion, one in- teresting aspect of the ceremony is the crushing, mixing, and drinking of the sacred plant, hom or homa (also variously soma or haoma in Indo- European religious tradition). There has been much speculation concerning the exact identifi- cation of this plant in antiquity. Its scripturally celebrated life-giving, invigorating qualities have led to wide-ranging speculation - includ- ing one theory that it may have been a halucino- genic mushroom. In the present Zoroastrian ritual it is a simple twig, crushed and mixed with goat’s milk and water before being con- sumed by the priest. Students of Indo-European civilization will be interested to note the impor- tant role played in the ceremony by a pair of stylized bull’s horns cast in brass.

The videotape will be best used in teaching situations where students have had the oppor- tunity to study Zoroastrian traditions in- dependently. Those who come to it cold will have little idea of how to interpret what they see. Despite its austerity, however, this produc- tion is a valuable document-an accurate record of a largely inaccessible ceremony. As such it shows the economic advantage of video- tape over film. It is unlikely that a film of this subject could have been funded, but a video- tape is just the right scale for a scientifically im- portant project of circumscribed interest such as this.