Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America

by Miguel A. de la Torre

This book by Miguel De La Torre offers a fascinating guide to the history, beliefs, rituals, and culture of Santería ― a religious tradition that, despite persecution, suppression, and its own secretive nature, has close to a million adherents in the United States alone.

Santería is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, rising out of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the Spanish Catholics who brought them to the Americas as slaves. As a faith of the marginalized and persecuted, it gave oppressed men and women strength and the will to survive. With the exile of thousands of Cubans in the wake of Castro's revolution in 1959, Santería came to the United States, where it is gradually coming to be recognized as a legitimate faith tradition.

Apart from vague suspicions that Santería's rituals include animal sacrifice and notions that it is a “syncretistic” form of Catholicism, most people in America's cultural and religious mainstream know very little about this rich faith tradition ― in fact, many have never heard of it at all. De La Torre, who was reared in Santería, sets out in this book to provide a basic understanding of its inner workings. He clearly explains the particular worldview, myths, rituals, and practices of Santería, and he discusses what role the religion typically plays in the life of its practitioners as well as the cultural influence it continues to exert in Latin American communities today.

In offering a balanced, informed survey of Santería from his unique “insider-outsider” perspective, De La Torre also provides insight into how Christianity and Santería can enter into dialogue ― a dialogue that will challenge Christians to consider what this emerging faith tradition can teach them about their own. Enhanced with illustrations, tables, and a glossary, De La Torre's Santería sheds light on a religion all too often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Theology

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

De La Torre received a Masters in Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a doctorate from Temple University in social ethics. The focus of his academic pursuit has been ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He specializes in applying a social scientific approach to Latino/a religiosity within this country, Liberation theologies in Latin America, and postmodern/postcolonial social theory.

De La Torre currently servers as the Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.

Reviews

[Missy J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somebody recommended this book to me so I could learn more about the background stories of the Cuban gods (orishas) such as Oshun, Yemaya, Elegua, Chango... I borrowed this book from the library in October and only now have I finally read it. It's actually a very pleasant and well-written book. I appreciate very much how the author took a step back and reminded the reader how the situational context and mainstream perspective influences how santeria is viewed. Santeria is a Yoruba religion that travelled from Africa to the Americas with the slave trade. It's an underground religion of the marginalized. People often mistakenly say that it is just a mix of African religion and Catholicism that formed in the Caribbean. In fact, the slaves hid their religion by worshipping Catholic saints (parallels are drawn with the orishas) to escape punishment. The religion had to indeed adapt to its new environment, loss of family/ancestors, but the essence is still there. I also appreciated how the author emphasized that santeria is a very flexible and ever-changing religion. It changes according to the people's needs and their environment. Today the santeria in Cuba is not identical with the Yoruba religion in Nigeria. Furthermore, santeria developed even more after the Cuban diaspora moved to the USA following 1959. The author also explains well how the way of belief differs between Christianity (or any major monotheistic religion) and santeria. "The individual is the starting point of the religion [...] (t)he basic mission of Santeria is to help with the normal, everyday trials and tribulations of ordinary life...". To me, santeria is more earthy, more nuanced and more adaptable. There are chapters dedicated to creation stories, rituals and oracles. My favorite chapter was the history one. I have read Ned Sublette's Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo and de la Torre's chapter really added more information on African history and how the dots connect. I loved this! "As a way of being and living, Santeria, formed as a spiritual response to oppressive structures like slavery, develoepd into a symbol of protest. If we attempt to explain Santeria only in terms of beliefs, we reduce the religion to a view of life, when in fact it is a way of life. This way of life has become a response against the societal forces bent on destroying the culture of the believers - a form of survival by way of cultural resistance."

[Sydney Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent informational dive into Santeria with the author able to expound on the practices from their own experiences raised in the religion. It gives a lot of context to religiousity outside of Western contexts that I really enjoyed.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently re-reading this book, not only because I'm trying to learn Spanish and it has a lot of Spanish words and phrases, but also because it is the type of book that is truly meant to be read and researched again and again. I love learning about different religions and cultures, and I found that this book was very informative. The writer takes an unbiased look at Santeria both as a former member and as a researcher. Great read for anyone interested in learning about a different religion and its introduction to Western society.

[Joshua Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a class on Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion. I really enjoyed the author's insider perspective on Santeria and his suprising command of the study of religion. His insights into the political condition of the Santeria religion are particularly interesting.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, lovely to read, very well done. Definitely one I would like to add to my library one day.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Mind blowing. The religion was treated with respect, but not made to seem like it was a perfect system. I was ignorant of a lot of the practices associated with Ocha, but now that I've read this, I feel like I have stronger and a complete picture of the beliefs, practices, and awesome social tool that this faith is. Wonderful book and highly recommended.

[Erica Pamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and fun to read.

[Mills College Library]

299.674 D3318 2004

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

accessible. written by a Christian theologian and former Santeria practitioner.

Not yet competent to evaluate it in relation to its content in relation to Santeria.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this back in 2005. Here are my brief notes from my journal:

>>I found it to be a well balanced survey of the religion written in an interesting and engaging style. The book not only discusses the religion and its concepts but also history, background, and context. It clarifies differences between Santeria and Voodoo for instance, and it also discusses how the religion continues to grow and evolve. De La Torre grew up in the religion, raised by santeros, but does not practice actively now. The insights from his experience are a strength of the book as well, from being able to look at it as an insider to childhood memories. Overall, an excellent effort at creating a good resource on a religion with close to 1 million followers in the U.S.<<

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very concise book on the basics of Yoruba religion and its practice in Latin america and the Caribbean and the united states. It is a good book, but lacking. All books on Santeria are because of the secretiveness of its practitioners. You get more just from speaking to a Santero then reading book on the subject any day, but at least this book had all the basics of the Orishas which was informational.