Living Santería Rituals and Experiences in an Afro-Cuban Religion |
|
Author:
| Mason, Michael Atwood |
ISBN: | 978-1-58834-077-1 |
Publication Date: | Aug 2002 |
Publisher: | Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
|
Imprint: | Smithsonian Books |
Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $24.95 |
Book Description:
|
In 1992 Smithsonian anthropologist Michael Atwood Mason traveled to Cuba for initiation as a priest into the Santería religion. Since then he has created an active oricha “house” and has initiated five others as priests. He is a rare combination: a scholar-practitioner who is equally fluent in his profession and his religion. Interweaving his roles as researcher and priest, Mason explores Santería as a contemporary phenomenon and offers an understanding of its complexity...
More DescriptionIn 1992 Smithsonian anthropologist Michael Atwood Mason traveled to Cuba for initiation as a priest into the Santería religion. Since then he has created an active oricha “house” and has initiated five others as priests. He is a rare combination: a scholar-practitioner who is equally fluent in his profession and his religion. Interweaving his roles as researcher and priest, Mason explores Santería as a contemporary phenomenon and offers an understanding of its complexity through his own experiences and those of its many practitioners. Balancing deftly between a devotee's account of participation and an anthropologist's theoretical analysis, Living Santería offers an original and insightful understanding of this growing religious tradition.