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Yoruba Religion in the Americas
Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins
A review of the book by Joseph M Murphy
Santería:  African Spirit in America (Boston:  Beacon Press, 1993. 200p.)

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The author investigates the Santería religion in the USA.  This is a Cuban version of traditional Yoruba religion with some other aspects of the traditional religion of the Congo and Fon peoples, all of whom brought their religious practices with them when brought as slaves to the Spanish regions of the New World.

Santería is similar to Umbanda in Brazil.  The slaves expressed their spirit religion in the form and guise of the Roman Catholic religion's prayers to the saints, with a saint standing for each of the African spirit-gods.  This resulted in the Catholic Cult of the Saints.

The author presents the African and Cuban background, giving historical and social factors and then probes the religion in the US, having been brought largely by the Cuban refugees after the Communist revolution in Cuba in 1959.

Murphy lists the names of the original Yoruba gods, their role and character in the original religion, and the way these beliefs operate in the mystical possession cult of Santería.

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[review] Umbanda, Spirits and Demons and Christianity
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OBJ

First reading notes written 27 August 2005
Finalized as a review and posted on Thoughts and Resources 27 December 2007
Reviewed on Amazon 2 March 2009
Last edited 21 November 2011

Orville Boyd Jenkins, EdD, PhD
Copyright © 2007 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or educational use.  Please give credit and link back.  Other rights reserved.

Email:  orville@jenkins.nu
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