"Santeria: The Religion" by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler

Paper Summary:

Critique of book on the beliefs and practices of Santeria. Discusses author's argument that Santeria should be considered a major world religion, rather than a black magic cult. History of Santeria. Connection to African religions, Catholicism, & Hispanic and American elements. Concept of natural magic, spirits of the dead.

From the Paper:

"Migene Gonzalez-Wippler, in Santeria: The Religion, attempts to shed light on the religion which is "the best-kept secret of Hispanic culture.". A cultural anthropologist, the author presents a portrait of the religion and its beliefs and practices in an effort to show that it deserves to be included among the major religions of the world, rather than a bizarre and bloody cult focusing on black magic and perversion of other religions. The author's dedication to her subject is seen in the fact that she herself became an initiate into several of the rituals of the religion. One might argue that such a personal step could have taken away some of her scientific objectivity, but one might also argue that one can only understand such a unique religion by taking part in it at least to some important degree. Gonzalez-Wippler writes that part of the failure of..."

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