Manton Hirst has had a long-standing interest in Southern Nguni history, ethnography, religious representations and traditional healing. Dr Hirst’s PhD research (1974-1977) dealt with the Southern Nguni healer’s art, and was conducted on Xhosa and Mfengu diviners and herbalists resident in the townships of Grahamstown. During this time, he served a two-year apprenticeship under a leading Mfengu diviner (igqirha lokuvumisa) and is recognized by the local community as a diviner (sangoma). Over the years, Manton has assisted patients, both white and black, referred to him from the local Psychiatric Hospital, and he has helped numerous Xhosa clients with a broad spectrum of problems ranging from enuresis to bewitchment.

Dr Hirst is an International Fellow of the Association for Ethno-Medicine and Trans-Cultural Psychiatry (AGEM) in Heidelberg, Germany, and he has served as a reviewer for two top US journals, 'Current Anthropology' and 'Ethno Biology'. Dr Hirst has assisted a number of postgraduate scholars with their theses, publications and research in the fields of history, psychology and anthropology, and he has participated in workshops, conferences and discussions dealing with traditional and alternative therapies.

Manton has had a long-term deep interest in the grey areas between academic disciplines, particularly between psychology and anthropology, and a longstanding interest in phenomenological methodology and research.

Dr Hirst is an advisor to the journal and its Editorial Board.