Course Code
Academic Year
Through the study of text, music, and images this course examines three "creole" Afro-Caribbean religions: Rastafari, Santería and Vodou. In this class, students will study how and why these religions blend Traditional African Religions, Indigenous Religions and Christianity into their own unique forms of worship. They will do this by asking the following questions. What are the beliefs and practices of these religions? How have historical events-such as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonialism-shaped them? What are the political dimensions of these religions (i.e. how have Rastafari, Santería and Vodou acted as forces of resistance against forms of oppression)? On the other hand, how might these religions also act as agents of exclusion, particularly in regards to gender and sexuality? Through these questions and others, the student will analyze and evaluate how and why "creole" Afro-Caribbean religions emerged and continue to flourish.