Demanding Deities and Reluctant Devotees: Belief and Unbelief in the Trinidadian Orisa Movement

Belief and unbelief are major categories of Western thought. Some Trinidadians do not subscribe to the power of the Orisa, while many more (Spiritual Baptists, Pentecostals, and Protestant Fundamentalists) 'recognize' and 'acknowledge' the Orisa yet do not 'believe' tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social analysis 2008-04, Vol.52 (1), p.19-38
Main Author: Glazier, Stephen D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Anthropology
Anthropology of religion
Baptists
Beliefs
Ceremonies
Christianity
Conflict
Consciousness
Cultural anthropology
Deities
Diaspora
Encyclopedias
Epistemology
Family Relations
Family Roles
Glass art
Goddesses
Initiation rites
Interpersonal conflicts
Islam
Parents
Power
Protestants
Religion
Religious aspects
Religious conflicts
Religious movements
Spirit possession
Spirits
Spiritual belief systems
Spirituality
Trinidad and Tobago
Unbelief systems
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Summary:Belief and unbelief are major categories of Western thought. Some Trinidadians do not subscribe to the power of the Orisa, while many more (Spiritual Baptists, Pentecostals, and Protestant Fundamentalists) 'recognize' and 'acknowledge' the Orisa yet do not 'believe' that Orisa should be worshipped. By contrast, few Orisa devotees question the ontological and epistemological status of Orisa, who are part of their daily lives and play a central role in family interactions. By serving a particular Orisa, devotees delineate their own positions within the movement as well as their positions relative to others outside the movement. Serving the Orisa can be draining, and parents attempt to postpone initiation for as long as possible. This often engenders much interpersonal and religious conflict.
ISSN:0155-977X
1558-5727
DOI:10.3167/sa.2008.520102