Socioreligious Agencies of Santería Religion in the United States of America

Abstract

Quite a lot of literature, both in hard copy and electronic forms, on Santería religion is available. Cathy Smith has compiled annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources to assist researchers interested in this religion in an article, “Santeria: The Way of the Saints.”¹ David H. Brown in his notable work, Santeria Enthroned, has provided copious references on Santería that interested scholars and researchers will find very useful. Quite a number of studies done on Santería and its spirituality offer diverse views on this religion and its followers. For some, Santería is “syncretistic and pagan worship”;² others label it as worship of demons or evil spirits, as “a dark contagious ‘infection’ or ‘sore’ on the Cuban body politic.” A Cuban anthropologist and ethnologist, Fernando Oritz, for example, in his work, Los Negros Brujos (the Negroes are Witches) had this to say about the Africans and their religion: “[T]he black race has brought its superstitions, its sensuality, its impulsivity, in general its African psyche.” In his estimation, the Cuban “low life” at the time was the making of the black race and “its superstitions, its organizations, its languages, its dances, etc.” He called Santería brujería (Witchcraft) and described it as “socially negative in relation to the improvement of our society, totally immoral, contributes to retain the consciousness of the blacks deeply rooted in African barbarism.” He also emphasized the “sexual corruption” of the “witches,” detailing their “practice of polygamy, prostitution and pornography.” As for the actual ritual and dances, Ortiz described them as “wild, vulgar and antisocial.”³