Religions of African Diaspora

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course exposes students to the complex world of religions found across the African (West and West-Central) Diaspora. Starting on the continent, this course highlights various African indigenous religions then it highlights how African diasporic religions were produced via both the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Intra-American trade. We will explore well-known, perhaps infamous, traditions like Vodou, Santeria, Cambomble, and Hoodoo. Topics covered include: African religious beliefs, theological and philosophical notions of the Universe, time, power, and nature, the role of “evil” and ancestors, among other things. This course will also complicate notions of “religion,” asking what counts as a religion and what does religion do?