Customer Reviews

Praising His Name In The Dance: Spirit Possession in the Spiritual Baptist Faith and Orisha Work in Trinidad, West Indies (Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean)

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I am a new member of the spiritual Baptist faith (Laventille, Trinidad) since 2004. This book is the best book on the religion and the social environment that surrounds it. From the beginning, his personal experiences of racism and exclusion during his research, gives you an idea of the defensive nature of the people, because of the many persecutions received at the hands of Europeans in the post slavery and post colonial time. Also because alot of people came and stole knowledge from our African religions to either suppress them or create misinformation in the public. However this book tells it as it is.
It does not give you everything on the religions but he gives a true picture of what really happens.
He is right when he admits that he can only give account for so much, because for both orisha and baptist you must have the spiritual eye to understand what is happening during worship. So unless you have that gift to see what spirits or saints manifest, or operate, when certain seal are written, or songs are sung, all you would see is a theatrical play or dance. Kenneth was privileged to be among certain priest and has given privileged information. He has been true to the 'faith'.
I have never been to an orisha feast but from what other members say, Kenneth re-affirms. If you buy this book you should also buy 'The Spiritual Baptist Faith by Rev Patricia Stephens.and ----- Reclaiming African Religions in Trinidad by Frances Henry.
They all look at the religions from different perspectives. Buy them all if you can!
I am a Baptist! Why buy this book? Because the traditional ways are being cut out and are not seen any more.
Many leaders have died, not writing anything, and have taken their knowledge to the grave.
Others Baptist, trying to prove themselves Christians to the public, have removed certain elements from their worship.
Change is inevitable.
'But you must remember where you come from, in order to know where you are going'

This book has helped me in successfully carrying out an assignmemt for college work. I will recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning or understanding the baptist religion. Kenneth Anthony Lum explains the religion in topic form and very vividly, so there can be no problem in understanding what is read.