Perret-Clermont, A. N., Morerod, J. D., & Blanc, J. (2022). Cultures et guérisons: Éric de Rosny–L’intégrale [Cultures and healings: The complete Éric de Rosny]. Livreo-Alphil. (boxed set in 3 volumes)
Eric de Rosny was a French anthropologist and Jesuit who started as a teacher and then devoted his life to further intercultural understanding between Africa (and in particular Cameroon) and the French speaking “West” (in particular France). He published several books (Healers in the Night, the most famous, has been translated into English and several other languages). He paid careful attention to local traditions, in particular to traditional healing practices and their embeddedness in local worldviews, knowledge and creeds (including witchcraft). He invested a lot of energy to protect traditional healers. But he was also concerned to further the understanding of present day rapid transformations of all kinds (for example: growing cities, the desire of young people to migrate, development of new churches). His papers were dispersed across many (often small) journals. Now that his papers have been collected and sorted by chronological date, they offer the opportunity to follow him step by step, documenting and sharing his experience, as he tries to enter this world in Douala, and then sees himself adopted by the local community and integrated as one of the “wise men” (beyum ba bato).
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 