Written from the perspective of a Jesuit priest who was both a missionary to the Oglala Lakota for 20 years and a scholar of the anthropology of religion, this book offers a model for understanding Oglala religious identity. It describes the history, belief systems, and contemporary ceremonies of three religious movements among the Oglala Lakota at Pine Ridge Reservation: traditional Lakota religion; the Native American Church, which uses peyote in its ceremonies; and the Body of Christ Independent Church--a modified Indian form of pentecostal Christianity. This book suggests a Christian reinterpretation of Lakota religion based upon the inspiration that the Sacred Pipe--the most holy of Lakota religious sacramentals--could be transformed into a symbol of Christ. It points out that a sense of sacramentalism is essential to the understanding of Native American religions, and that there are mutual influences among Pipe, Bible, and peyote in the ongoing process of religious acculturation. Included are descriptions of the Yuwipi ceremony, the Pipe fast, the sweat lodge, the Sun Dance, peyote ceremonies, healing ceremonies, and funeral and memorial services. This book contains an index, a bibliography with 240 references, and 22 photographs. (SV)