About the author
Stuart Earle Strange is the author of Suspect Others: Spirit Mediums, Self-Knowledge, and Race in Multiethnic Suriname (University of Toronto Press, 2021), a study of spirit mediumship among the Ndyuka Maroons of Suriname. The book examines how ideas of self-knowledge and personal identity are shaped by a specific set of ritual practices in a postcolonial Caribbean society marked by racial and religious suspicion, and how mediumship intersects with competition over belonging, political power, and control of natural resources. Written from an anthropological perspective, it situates Surinamese spirit possession within wider debates on race, religion, and social trust rather than presenting it as a practical or devotional guide. The book is aimed at readers of academic anthropology and religious studies with an interest in Caribbean and Afro-diasporic ritual traditions.
📖 Where to start with Stuart Earle Strange
💬 What our editors say about Stuart Earle Strange's books
“This ethnography provides a dense, insightful look at spirit mediumship in Suriname, but it is not for casual readers seeking light spiritual advice. The text demands patience from those unaccustomed to rigorous academic…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Suspect Others: Spirit Mediums, Self-Knowledge, and Race in Multiethnic Suriname Strange, Stuart Earle
“Strange delivers a compelling ethnography that meticulously unpacks the role of spirit mediumship in Suriname’s multiethnic society. While intellectually rigorous and culturally rich, this work is not suited for casual readers…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Suspect Others: Spirit Mediums, Self-Knowledge, and Race in Multiethnic Suriname Strange, Stuart Earle
