Ritual, Discourse, and Community in Cuban Santeria: Speaking a Sacred World (Contemporary Cuba): Speaking a Sacred World (Contemporary Cuba)

How do Santería practitioners in Cuba create and maintain religious communities amidst tensions, disagreements, and competition among them, and in the absence of centralized institutional authority? What serves as the "glue" that holds practitioners of different backgrounds together in the creation of a moral community? Examining the religious lives of santeros in Santiago de Cuba, Wirtz argues that these communities hold together not because members agree on their interpretations of rituals but because they often disagree. Religious life is marked by a series of "telling moments"--not only the moments themselves but their narrated representations as they are retold and mined for religious meanings. Long after they occur, spiritually elevated experiences circulate in narratives that may express skepticism or awe and hold the promise of more such experiences. The author finds that these episodes resonate in gossip and other forms of public commentary about the experiences of their fellow Santería practitioners. Drawing on ethnographic research about Santería beliefs and practices, Wirtz observes that practitioners are constantly engaged in reflection about what they and other practitioners are doing, how the orichas (deities) have responded, and what the consequences of their actions were or will be. By focusing their reflective attention on particular events, santeros re-create, moment to moment, what their religion is. Wirtz also argues that Santería cannot be considered in isolation from the complex religious landscape of contemporary Cuba, in which African-based traditions are viewed with a mix of fascination, folkloric pride, and suspicion. [ Interactions among the conflicting discourses about these religions—as sacred practices, folklore, or dangerous superstitions, for example—have played a central role in constituting them as social entities. ] This book will interest scholars of religion, the African diaspora, the Caribbean, and Latin America, as well as linguistic and cultural anthropologists. "In Ritual, Discourse, and Community in Cuban Santeria, Kristina Wirtz examines the religious lives of santeros in Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city on the island. Wirtz argues that these religious communities are held together not because members agree on their interpretations of rituals but precisely because they often disagree on the issues. Her analysis opens a window into this growing world religion." "Drawing on ethnographic research about Santeria beliefs and practices, Wirtz observes that practitioners are constantly engaged in reflection about what they and other practitioners are doing, how the orichas (deities) have responded, and what the consequences of their actions were or will be. Santeros re-create, moment to moment, what their religion is. Wirtz also argues that Santeria cannot be considered in isolation from the complex religious landscape of contemporary Cuba, in which African-based traditions are viewed with a mix of fascination, folkloric pride, and suspicion."--Jacket Contents 8 Illustrations 9 Preface 10 Ethnographic Prologue 18 Acknowledgments 22 A Note on the Text 24 1. Introduction: Telling Moments 26 2. “All the Priests in the House”: Defining Santería 50 3. Competing Histories and Dueling Moralities 74 4. From Skepticism to Faith: Narratives of Religious Experience 106 5. Skepticism in Faith: Evaluating Religious Experiences in Rituals 129 6. Respecting the Religion, Advancing in the Religion 160 7. Building a Moral Community out of Critique and Controversy 192 8. Conclusion: The Promise 223 Notes 234 References 254 Index 268 How do Santeria practitioners in Cuba create and maintain religious communities amidst disagreements and competition among them? Examining the religious lives of santeros in Santiago de Cuba, this book argues that these communities hold together not because members agree on their interpretations of rituals but because they often disagree.