Nurturing Doubt
From Mennonite Missionary to Anthropologist in the Argentine Chaco
A missionary among the Toba ponders the form and purpose of ethnographic investigation and reporting
Paper – $28
978-0-252-06455-5
Publication Date
Paperback: 03/01/1995
About the Book
Unique in ethnography, Nurturing Doubt documents the transforming effects of field experiences on a young Mennonite. Elmer Miller went to Argentina to work with the Toba, first as a missionary and later as an anthropologist. Looking back, Miller probes the documents (diaries, field journals, and letters) of both his lives. As he does, he reveals the ways his perception of the Toba, and their perception of him, changed as his role changed.Deeply affected by an upbringing that equated doubt with sin, Miller felt uncertainty about the validity of the missionary mandate but also his ethnographic duties and the practice of anthropology. Miller explores how his rich relationships with the Toba transformed a negative activity into a positive philosophical attitude.
Insightful and singular, Nurturing Doubt depicts a journey from theological to anthropological discourse.
About the Author
Elmer Miller (1931-2019) was a professor of anthropology at Temple University. His books include Harmony and Dissonance in Argentine Toba Society and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.Awards
A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 1996.Related Titles
