Syllabus Roots Unearthed: Exploring Caribbean Spiritual Traditions

 SLLYABUS

 

Roots Unearthed: Exploring Caribbean Spiritual Traditions

This syllabus provides a rigorous academic exploration of Caribbean spirituality, incorporating historical, cultural, and contemporary perspectives across diverse religious traditions, mythologies, and theological themes.

 

Course Description:

This course comprehensively explores the religious, theological, and mythological traditions in the Caribbean, examining influences from Amerindian, African, European, East Indian, and other spiritual practices. Through scholarly readings, discussions, and practical engagements, students will gain an in-depth understanding of the syncretic nature and cultural dynamics of Caribbean spirituality.

 

Course Objectives:

1. To analyze the historical and cultural contexts of Caribbean religious traditions.

2. To explore theological and mythological themes within Caribbean spirituality.

3. To evaluate the syncretism and interactions between different spiritual practices in the Caribbean.

4. To engage critically with primary and secondary texts by scholars and practitioners of Caribbean religions.

5. To appreciate the diversity and complexity of Caribbean spiritual practices and their contemporary manifestations.

 

 Week-by-Week Outline:

 

Week 1: Introduction to Caribbean Religions

- Overview of Caribbean religious diversity and historical development

- Key concepts: syncretism, diaspora, colonialism, and post-colonialism

- Readings: "The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions" edited by Ennis B. Edmonds and Michelle A. Gonzalez 

Week 2: Amerindian Spiritual Traditions

- Pre-Columbian religious beliefs and practices across the Caribbean

- Influence of Amerindian spirituality on contemporary Caribbean religions

- Readings:  -The Caribbean Before Columbus" by William F. Keegan

- The Indigenous People of the Caribbean by S.M.Wilson

-I. Rourse.  The Taims

-M.D. Coe:  The Maya

 

 Week 3: African-Derived Religions in the Caribbean

- Impact of the transatlantic slave trade on African spiritual traditions

- Overview of major religions: Vodou, Kele, Santería, Obeah, and Rastafarianism

- Readings:- Nathaniel Samuel.  Murrell, Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions. Temple University Press, 2010.

-The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions

 Week 4: European Influence and Christian Syncretism

- Introduction of Catholicism, Protestantism (Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Methodism), and their adaptation in the Caribbean

- Syncretism between European Christianity and local traditions

- Readings: -Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction" by Ennis B. Edmonds

 Week 5: East Indian Religions in the Caribbean

- Indentured labor and the introduction of Hinduism and Islam

- Cultural integration and transformation of East Indian religious practices

- Readings: -The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions

                        -Caribbean Religious History:  An Introduction

 

 Week 6: Syncretism and Hybridity in Caribbean Religions

- Exploration of mixed spiritual practices blending Amerindian, African, European, and East Indian influences

- Case studies: Examples from Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Curacao

- Readings: -Creolization and Contraband: Curaçao in the Early Modern Atlantic World" by Linda M. Rupert

-Creole Religions of the Caribbean by Margarite Fernández Olmos

 

 Week 7: Mythology and Oral Traditions

- Analysis of Caribbean myths, legends, and oral narratives

- Preservation and transmission of spiritual beliefs through oral traditions

- Readings: "Myths and Legends of the Caribbean" by Juanita Garcia Peraza

-The Jumbles Tracey Baptiste

- Ti Jean and his brothers  Derek Walcott

-  Myths and Maxims: A Catalog of Superstitions, Spirits and Sayings of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Caribbean by Josanne Leid and Shaun Riaz

-·The Things That Fly in the Night: Female Vampires in Literature of the Circum-Caribbean and African Diaspora by Giselle Liza Anatol

 

 

 Week 8: Contemporary Expressions of Caribbean Spirituality

- Examination of modern manifestations of traditional spiritual practices

- Impact of globalization, migration, and diaspora on Caribbean religions

       Readings will be  provided

 

 

 Week 9: Rituals, Ceremonies, and Festivals

- Study of key rituals, ceremonies, and festive practices in Caribbean religions

- Role of music, dance, and art in religious rituals

- Guest lecture: Practitioner demonstration

 

Week 10: Gender Dynamics in Caribbean Religions

- Exploration of gender roles, spiritual leadership, and empowerment in Caribbean religious contexts

Readings - Where Men Are Wives and Mothers Rule Santeria Ritual Practices and their Gender Implications b Mary Ann Clark

-Gender in Caribbean Religions from The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions

  

 Week 11: Judaism, Bahá'í Faith, and Islam in the Caribbean

- History and contemporary presence of Jewish, Bahá'í, and Islamic communities

- Interactions and adaptations within the Caribbean cultural milieu

Readings: -The Jews in the Caribbean edited by Jane Gerber

  Far from Mecca: - Globalizing the Muslim Caribbean by Aliyah Khan

Selected articles about the Baha’i Faith in the Caribbean will be given

 

 Week 12: Capstone Presentations and Reflection

- Student presentations on specific topics within Caribbean religious practices

- Reflection on personal and academic insights gained from the course

 

Assignments and Assessments:

- Weekly reading reflections

- Mid-term essay on a specific aspect of Caribbean spirituality

- Group presentation on a selected religious tradition

- Final research paper exploring a comprehensive topic within Caribbean religion and mythology

 Required Texts:

1.    "The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Religions" edited by s and Michelle M. Gonzalez

2.    The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions Volume 1:al; Volume 2: M-Z by Patrick Taylor and Frederick Case

3. The Indigenous People Who Came Before Columbus" by William F. Keegan

4. "Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction" by Ennis B. Edmonds

                Supplementary Materials:

- Articles, documentaries, and guest lectures

- Online resources and databases for further research

The Caribbean is One of the World’s Most Religious Places in the World by Kevon Wilson https://exceptionalcaribbean.com/2021/12/09/the-caribbean-is-one-of-the-most-religious-places-in-the-world/

Creolization and Contraband: Curaçao in the Early Modern Atlantic World" by Linda M. Rupert

Prea, Persaud,  'Hinduism in the Caribbean', in Knut A. Jacobsen (ed.), Hindu Diasporas