Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions

Religion is one of the most important elements of Afro-Caribbean culture linking its people to their African past, from Haitian Vodou and Cuban SanteriaOCopopular religions that have often been demonized in popular cultureOCoto Rastafari in Jamaica and Orisha-Shango of Trinidad and Tobago. In Afro-Caribbean Religions, Nathaniel Samuel Murrell provides a comprehensive study that respectfully traces the social, historical, and political contexts of these religions. And, because Brazil has the largest African population in the world outside of Africa, and has historic ties to the Caribbean, Murrell includes a section on Candomble, Umbanda, Xango, and Batique. This accessibly written introduction to Afro-Caribbean religions examines the cultural traditions and transformations of all of the African-derived religions of the Caribbean along with their cosmology, beliefs, cultic structures, and ritual practices. Ideal for classroom use, Afro-Caribbean Religions also includes a glossary defining unfamiliar terms and identifying key figures.

History

Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel

Americas

Temple University Press

A study of African-based religions in the Caribbean, but including a section on Brazil, this book examines each cult in its social, political &amp; historical context to show how this important aspect of Afro-Caribbean culture serves to link followers with African heritages.

This anthology explores Rastafari religion, culture, and politics in Jamaica and other parts of the African diaspora. An Afro-Caribbean religious and cultural movement that sprang from the mean streets of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1930s, today Rastafari has close to one million adherents. The basic message of Rastafari--the dismantling of all oppressive institutions and the liberation of humankind--strongly appeals even to non-believers who are captivated by the reggae music, the lyrics, and the "immortal spirit" of its enormously popular practitioner, Bob Marley.
Probing into Rastafari's still-evolving belief system, political goals, and cultural expression, the contributors to this volume emphasize the importance of Africana history and the Caribbean context. "Long before the term 'Afrocentricity' came into popular use in the United States, Jamaican Rastafarians had embraced the concept as the most important recipe for naming their reality and reclaiming their black heritage in the African diaspora, " Nathaniel Samuel Murrell notes in the Introduction. "CHANTING DOWN BABYLON" brings together scholarly commentary, a long-hidden founding document of the movement, and the voices of leading Rastas who explain and critique the beliefs and practices associated with Rastafari. Also included are a glossary, an annotated bibliography, and an interview with the pioneering scholar of Rastafari, Leonard Barrett.

Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

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Books by Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions

Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions

Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader