Governing Spirits

288 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 11 illus., notes, bibl., index

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-5836-3
Published: December 2007
E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-0-8078-8894-0
Published: November 2009
E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-7704-8
Published: November 2009

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Freedom of religion did not come easily to Cuba or Puerto Rico. Only after the arrival of American troops during the Spanish-American War were non-Catholics permitted to practice their religions openly and to proselytize. When government efforts to ensure freedom of worship began, reformers on both islands rejoiced, believing that an era of regeneration and modernization was upon them. But as new laws went into effect, critics voiced their dismay at the rise of popular religions. Reinaldo L. Román explores the changing relationship between regulators and practitioners in neocolonial Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Spiritism, Santería, and other African-derived traditions were typically characterized in sensational fashion by the popular press as "a plague of superstition." Examining seven episodes between 1898 and the Cuban Revolution when the public demanded official actions against "misbelief," Román finds that when outbreaks of superstition were debated, matters of citizenship were usually at stake. He links the circulation of spectacular charges of witchcraft and miracle-making to anxieties surrounding newly expanded citizenries that included people of color. Governing Spirits also contributes to the understanding of vernacular religions by moving beyond questions of national or traditional origins to illuminate how boundaries among hybrid practices evolved in a process of historical contingencies.

About the Author

Reinaldo L. Román is associate professor of history at the University of Georgia.
For more information about Reinaldo L. Román, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

"Recommended."--Choice

"A fascinating exploration of the historical dynamics. . . . Thoroughly researched and skillfully presented . . . first-rate contribution."--The Journal of American History

"An instrumental text for investigating the history of Caribbean derived religions."--Religious Studies Review

"The true contribution of this fine historical project lies in the careful detail through which Roman tells . . . how various institutions and actors coconstructed religious miracles and spectacles as they worked out what religious modernity would look like."--American Ethnologist

"A much-needed study of the Puerto Rican and Cuban governments' control of superstition in the first half of the twentieth century. . . . An excellent historical account of the interplay between religion, politics, and public discourse in early twentieth-century Cuba and Puerto Rico."--Journal of Law and Religion

"Eloquent and engaging. . . . Roman's carefully construed compilations of historical material are fascinating reading."--CENTRO Journal