Introduction to Afro-diasporic Religions

This is an introductory lecture course to the study of Afro-diasporic religions particularly its evolution from the period of transatlantic slavery to present. Students will explore the linkages between Africa and its diaspora, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States. Through an interdisciplinary approach and Black feminist lens, with a focus on the historical, ethnographical, and philosophical, the course will traverse through selected religions and regions such as Santería & Lucumí in Cuba and Puerto Rico, Vodou in Haiti and Dominican Republic, Obeah and Rastafari in Jamaica, Camdomblé in Brazil, Islam in Guyana, African American Christianity and Hoodoo, and Obeah and Orisha tradition in Trinidad and Tobago. Collectively we will explore questions of Black diasporic liberatory practices and formation, queerness, transness, spiritual possession, resistance, and ancestral veneration. Through a combination of lectures, readings, films, audio recordings, and guest presentations, we will explore the historical development, contemporary manifestations, and contentions of these spiritual traditions; their connections and dissimilarities; their impact on visual artists and writers; their relationship to Christianity by way of colonization, and their meaning in the context of the ongoing struggle of Black people to imagine and embody sane, inclusive, healthy alternatives to a pervasive model of white supremacy.