Spirit and Reason: The Vine Deloria, Jr. Reader [Paperback]

Spirit & Reasonis a collection of the works of one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century—Vine Deloria, Jr. Author of such classics asRed Earth, White Lies,andGod is Red, Deloria takes readers on a momentous journey through Indian country and beyond by exploring some of the most important issues of the past three decades. The essays gathered here are wide-ranging and essential and include representative pieces from some of Deloria's most influential books, some of his lesser-known articles, and ten new pieces written especially forSpirit & Reason.

Tellingly, in the course of reviewing his body of work, Deloria found much that he had written in the past remained current and compelling because "people have not made much progress in resolving issues." Whether disputing theories of religion and science, examining the problems of modern education, or expounding on our understanding of the world, Deloria consistently urges readers toward an intimate connection with the world in which we live. For those familiar with Deloria's works as well as those discovering him for the first time, this essential anthology will teach, provoke, and enlighten in equal measure.

"No writer has more clearly articulated the unspoken emotions, dreams, and lifeways of contemporary Native people than Vine Deloria... With flawless logic and adroit use of language, Deloria examines the way many traditional Native people look at the universe, the connectedness of all living things, and our own insignificance in the totality of things compared to the objective, segmented way scientists in the academy view the universe." —From the forward by Wilma P. Mankiller, Former Principal Chief of the Chrokee Nation of Oklahoma

Vine Deloria Jr., is a leading Native American scholar whose research writings, and teaching have encompassed history, law, religious studies, andlă+