SANTERIA THE RELIGION BOOK

When the Yoruba of West Africa were brought to Cuba as slaves, they preserved their religious heritage by disguising their gods as Catholic saints and worshiping them in secret. The resulting religion was Santeria, a blend of primitive magic and Catholicism now practiced by an estimated five million Hispanic Americans.

In an insightful examination of an African religion’s survival in the New World, this informative text will reveal its secrets from the perspective of both insider and scholar. Blending informed study as an anthropologist and personal experience as a Santerian initiate, author Migene Gonzalez-Wippler uncovers Santeria’s spellbinding elements: the pantheon of gods(orishas), the priests(santeros), the divining shells (diloggun)used to consult the gods, and the herbal potions prepared as medicinal cures for magic(ewe). Explore the controversial ceremonies-including animal sacrifices-that are often misunderstood outside the Santerian Community.

With remarkable photographs and penetrating interviews, aspects of the religion that have rarely been revealed to nonbelievers are now disclosed. The time has come to expose this growing spiritual practice that continues to gain new adherents worldwide.

(Author: Migene Gonzalez-Wippler)334 Pages