Governing Spirits

Religion, Miracles, and Spectacles in Cuba and Puerto Rico, 1898-1956

Bibliographic Data

ID19904933
AuthorsReinaldo L Román (corresponding author)
Year2007
Pages288
Publication date2007-12-17
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueGoverning Spirits (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherUniversity of North Carolina Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.5149/9780807888940_roman
OpenAlexW4235657936
Open LibraryOL11294133M
ISBN9780807888940
LanguageEN
Citations received30

Freedom of religion did not come easily to Cuba or Puerto Rico. Only after the arrival of American troops during the Spanish–American War were non-Catholics permitted to practice their religions openly and to proselytize. When government efforts to ensure freedom of worship began, reformers on both islands rejoiced, believing that an era of regeneration and modernization was upon them. But as new laws went into effect, critics voiced their dismay at the rise of popular religions. This book explores the changing relationship between regulators and practitioners in neocolonial Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spiritism, Santeria, and other African-derived traditions were typically characterized in sensational fashion by the popular press as "a plague of superstition." Examining seven episodes between 1898 and the Cuban Revolution when the public demanded official actions against "misbelief," it finds that when outbreaks of superstition were debated, matters of citizenship were usually at stake. The book links the circulation of spectacular charges of witchcraft and miracle-making to anxieties surrounding newly expanded citizenries that included people of color. It also contributes to the understanding of vernacular religions by moving beyond questions of national or traditional origins to illuminate how boundaries among hybrid practices evolved in a process of historical contingencies

Art · Ethnology · Government (linguistics) · Idolatry · Literature · Miracle · Modernization theory · Political science · Superstition · Vernacular · Worship · Asian American and Pacific Histories · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Cuban History and Society · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · 20th century · American history: from c 1900 · Anthropology, cultural · Black studies · Caribbean & West Indies - Cuba · Caribbean & West Indies - General · Cuba · History - General History · History: World · Politics & State · Puerto Rico · Religion · Religious conflict · Religious life and customs · Social life and customs · superstition; Spiritism; Santera; chupacabras; Clavelito; Juan Manso EstZvez; Hilario Mustelier Garzn; Madre Elenita; La Samaritana; Virgen del Poza; Irma Izquierdo; Hermanos Cheos/ Cuba; Puerto Rico; Black wizards; atavism; Saban Grande

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