Umbanda: Africana or Esoteric?
Engler S (2020)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2020
Journal
Book Volume: 6
Article Number: 469
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.16995/OLH.469
Abstract
Umbanda is a dynamic and varied Brazilian spirit-incorporation tradition first recorded in the early twentieth century. This article problematizes the ambiguity of categorizing Umbanda as an 'Afro-Brazilian' religion, given the acknowledged centrality of elements of Kardecist Spiritism. It makes a case that Umbanda is best categorized as a hybridizing Brazilian Spiritism. Though most Umbandists belong to groups with strong African influences alongside Kardecist elements, many belong to groups with few or no African elements, reflecting greater Kardecist influence. Kardecist elements are universal in Umbanda; Africana elements are not. Kardecism is a western esoteric tradition and a key factor in the emergence of a wide variety of Latin American Spiritisms, including Umbanda. Labelling Umbanda as 'Afro-Brazilian' fails to acknowledge the beliefs and practices of the many Brazilians who practice other forms of the tradition. This case study of the categorization of religions-looking at scholarly ideology, race, historical origins, doctrine and practice-emphasizes the need to look at specific contexts and to avoid broad generalizations.
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APA:
Engler, S. (2020). Umbanda: Africana or Esoteric? Open Library of Humanities, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.16995/OLH.469
MLA:
Engler, Steven. "Umbanda: Africana or Esoteric?" Open Library of Humanities 6.1 (2020).
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