Cuban Santeria (Paperback)

~ Raul J. Canizares (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fascinating journey of a little known religious order that puts forward the perception that Santeria is a thoughtful and deliberate response of a thinking people to a hostile social environment. -- What's on the Planet

Raul Canizares has written an insightful overview of this religion. -- Spirituality & Health, December, 2001

Raul Canizares paints a colorful picture of Santeria's oral traditions and musical connections, and raises the curtain of mystery on a vivid and vital faith. -- Islands

The finest study in English to date of a faith on the brink of becoming a world religion. -- William J. Heim, Ph.D., University of South Florida

Review

"The finest study in English to date of a faith on the brink of becoming a world religion."
(William J. Heim, Ph.D., University of South Florida )

"The author of this newest Santeria text is both a scholar of the faith and a devotee. Is there a tougher balance to maintain when writing about any religion? The fact is, Canizares executes the balancing act with considerable precision and charm, making this perhaps the finest introduction to the increasingly popular religion since Joseph Murphy's Santeria: an African Religion in America (Beacon, 1988)."
(The Beat )

"Raul Canizares paints a colorful picture of Santeria's oral traditions and musical connections, and raises the curtain of mystery on a vivid and vital faith."
(Islands )

"A fascinating journey of a little known religious order that puts forward the perception that Santeria is a thoughtful and deliberate response of a thinking people to a hostile social environment."
(What's on the Planet  )

"Raul Canizares has written an insightful overview of this religion."
(Spirituality & Health, December, 2001 )

"Canizares pierces through Santeria's outer shell to discuss its gods and initiations, rituals, history and legacy. . . . The narrative comes alive with anecdotes from the author's own involvement."
(NAPRA Trade Journal )

“Raul Canizares offers a truly unique perspective in this book - that of not only an active member of the religion of Santeria, but of a high-ranking member of that religion. . . . This book should be in the library of every religious educator, I know it will have a prominent place on my own library shelves.”
(Mike Gleason, Witchgrove, March 2007 )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892817623
• ISBN-13: 978-0892817627
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #598,584 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most accurate book on Santeria as practiced in the US, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

As a Priest of Santeria and Palo Mayombe, most santeria books I have read are filled with half truths, and even things made up. The Gonzalez Whippler books, which are widely read, are not good at all, and Books on Palo Mayombe are filled with baloney. Canizares, as the only writer/priest I know, has written an entertaining and accurate book about the basics of Santeria, I would definitely recommend and have bought it for several friends who wanted to learn more.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best introduction to Santeria, March 25, 2002

By	robert laremy (Jamaica, West Indies) - See all my reviews

Santeria is not an easy theme to tackle--I've written about it myself--It is a much-misunderstood religion, filled with magic and controversy. Raul Canizares, a practitioner and scholar simultaneously, translates the faith of his soul to the world at large with remarkable elegance. The book is thoroughly readable, extremely informative without being pedantic, and unique in some aspects, such as when the author writes about white-on-black racism in supposedly color-blind Communist Cuba. For the knowledgeable, the book is like a tease: it leaves you wanting for more. But for a first book on the subject, there is no better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best primer on santeria, December 9, 2001

By	john andolina (Manhattan, USA) - See all my reviews

While a seasoned Santero will not learn anything from this primer, a person who wants to get his/her feet wet will find this a delicious volume. A seasoned Santero, however, will appreciate the fluidity of language and the beauty of the stories Baba Canizares expounds on. A master of the English language as well as a master Santero, Canizares' book has withstood the test of time (look at his consistently high rating on AMAZON.COM sales, where it is usually the top-rated orisha book). I hear Inner Traditions is planning a greatly expanded 10th anniversary special edition, as well as a Spanish Language edition--I can't wait to get both. CUBAN SANTERIA: WALKING WITH THE NIGHT is a little masterpiece, and the best book from Canizares's pen so far.