Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction

Abstract

Ennis B. Edmonds and Michelle A. Gonzalez, Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction, New York: New York University Press, 2010, xiv + 264 pp.In the book History of Religions in the Caribbean, Dale Bisnauth argues that "historical developments have in large measure influenced the make-up of the multi-religious mosaic of the Caribbean".1 For Bisnauth, the multi-religious mosaic is testimony to the stamp of European colonization on the Caribbean. The diverse religious experience of the colonial masters - Spain, France, the Netherlands, Britain and, latterly, North America - have, over time, influenced the religious landscape of the Caribbean. To this mix must be added those who came from Africa and Asia to supply the labour demands of the plantations established by the colonial masters.However, while the arrival of Christopher Columbus marks an impor- tant period in the social process of the peoples in the region, the Caribbean was occupied by indigenous peoples who had well-developed socio-economic and political structures long before the coming of all the foregoing groups. Thus, of necessity, chronicling the story of the peoples of the Caribbean should take into account the socio-historical and reli- gious experiences of all the groups, including the indigenous peoples of the region. Ennis B. Edmonds and Michelle A. Gonzalez, the authors of the work under review, are under no illusion that European arrival was the only focal point in the history of the peoples of the Caribbean. As a result, they quite correctly include not only the Europeans in their analy- sis but also the indigenous populations, for example, the Garifunas in Belize and various Creole-speaking peoples. Thus, the area stretching from the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles in the north through Belize on the Central American mainland down to the Guianas in the south is covered in the work.The authors, contending that the history and collective identity of Caribbean peoples are inextricably linked to the practice of religion, have taken a socio-historical approach, drawing on the disciplines of sociology and anthropology in their analysis. This socio-historical approach undoubtedly enables us to have a better understanding of Caribbean peoples' life and religious practices. By emphasizing history as process, Edmonds and Gonzalez set out to tell the story of Caribbean peoples in ways that suggest formative influences in the evolution of the culture, religions, economies and other facets of the region. The advent of Christian denominations during the early era and the conflicts they generated among themselves, especially those between the Roman Catholic and Anglican (that is, the Church of England) Churches, are very well treated. The Caribbean, without doubt, has always been the victim of much untoward religious penetration from Europe. The authors also note that during the latter part of the nineteenth century a shift developed. The region, and also Latin America, began witnessing an influx of Christian religious practices from North America, and since the twentieth century this penetration has become even more pro- nounced. Such a development, it would appear, is based on US imperi- alist policies which began to take shape during the early nineteenth century.In 1823, US president James Monroe, in his state-of-the-nation address to Congress, in solidarity with newly independent states of Latin America, warned European nations that any further colonization of the region would be strongly resisted by the United States. …