HERU

In this lecture/discussion video from my Spring 2014 Religion in America class at Marist college, we begin to discuss the textbook for the class (America’s Religions: From Their Origins to the Twenty-first Century 3rd. ed., by Peter Williams), focusing on Chapter 2, “The African Background of New World Religions”

We discuss in particular the forced immigration from Africa (especially West Africa) to the Americas, how different dynamics affected the capacities of African slaves to continue practicing indigenous religions of Africa in the Americas, and the forms that these new religions — including Santeria, Candomble, Vodun, Shango, and others — took on.

We discuss in very general terms some key aspects of traditional Yoruba religion, which through the African diaspora becomes something like a world religion. In particular, we discuss Olorun and the Orisas, the role of the ancestors, and the importance of divination and the Odu Ife

Since videos discussing religion tend to get a number of polemical, poorly informed, and off-topic comments, I’ve set comments to require review and approval before they’ll be publicly posted.

The textbook used for this class can be purchased from Amazon here:

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