Vodou and Christianity in Interreligious Dialogue ed. by Celucien L. Joseph, Charlene Désir, and Lewis Clorméus (review)

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Reviewed by:

• Vodou and Christianity in Interreligious Dialogue ed. by Celucien L. Joseph, Charlene Désir, and Lewis Clorméus
• Minjung Noh

Vodou and Christianity in Interreligious Dialogue. Edited by Celucien L. Joseph, Charlene Désir, and Lewis Clorméus. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2023. Pp. 267. $38.00, paper.

In November, 2023, during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Antonio, TX, I attended a panel presentation delivered by Dr. Joseph, one of the editors of this book. The presentation was titled “Vodou and Christianity in Interreligious Dialogue and the Roots of Religious Disagreement.” His discourse proved enlightening because of his emphasis on the intricacies of Haitian history and culture deeply ingrained in the religiosity of its populace. Furthermore, he underscored the imperative of interreligious dialogue and coalition-building for human flourishing and peace in Haiti. Subsequently, my interest led me to acquire a copy of the book after hearing the panel, and it exceeded my expectations.

In the academic study of Haitian religions, the exploration of interreligious dialogue between Christianity and Vodou has been a seldom-addressed theme. Acknowledging this scholarly gap (p. 2), the editors of this volume have successfully curated a collection of essential voices from scholars and activists, encapsulated within the ten distinctive chapters contributed by authors hailing from diverse continents, including Nigeria, Haiti, France, and the United States. The varied geographical locations and positionalities of the contributors effectively mirror the global dimensions of the Haitian diaspora and its corresponding scholarly dialogue. Moreover, the volume offers accessible suggestions and examples that can be readily utilized by readers beyond academic spheres. Lastly, the volume is intentional in amplifying voices of women (pp. 3–4), including chapters by Désir, Sandra Duval, and others. These contributions exemplify how feminist and decolonizing methodologies can be applied within the context of interreligious discussions. [End Page 145]

The book has two sections, each comprising five chapters. The first section delves into theoretical and conceptual reflections presented by scholars utilizing traditional humanities and social sciences methodologies. In Chapter 2, Clorméus provides an erudite historical analysis of the relationship between Catholic Christianity and Vodou in Haiti from the 1940s to the 1980s. As anticipated from a distinguished Haitianist, he masterfully accounts pivotal moments in the history of Haitian religions and the role that social scientific scholarship has played in shaping the field. In Chapter 3, Vijonet Déméro elucidates the contemporary religious landscape of Haiti, focusing on Catholicism, Vodou, and Protestant Christianity, by employing the in-depth interview method with selective samples and introducing 2019 religious population data from the Ministry of Cults in Haiti. Given the rarity of recent statistical data in Haitian religions, these updated datasets hold significant value. Chapters 4 and 5, authored by Rolande Dathis and Duval, respectively, contribute to the decolonization of Haitian history (Dathis) and utilize a reflective method of autoethnography (Duval). These evocative chapters represent attempts to decolonize the methods and epistemology of interreligious dialogue within the Haitian context.

While I found great satisfaction in delving into the theoretical explorations of the first section, as a feminist historian of Haitian Christianity, the second section resonated with my prior training in interreligious dialogue and activism gained through my work at an interreligious dialogue nongovernmental organization. Particularly noteworthy within this section are the compelling case studies presented in Désir’s Chapter 7, in which she imparts invaluable insights derived from her extensive experience in educating the Haitian youth in the diaspora within the Boston area over multiple decades. Désir contends that the Haitian epistemology, suppressed by a specific branch of conservative Christian views, must be liberated and interconnected with pan-African ideas of self. She argues that such a liberating educational approach, drawing inspiration from Paulo Freire’s Pedagogies of the Oppressed, serves as the foundational bedrock for fostering meaningful interreligious dialogue.

Chapter 6, by Henry Claude Télusma, provides concrete resources for promoting interreligious understanding within the Haitian population. His survey on interreligious consciousness in Haiti is a meticulously conducted indigenous research effort, specifically designed for Haitian participants. In Chapter 8, Carter Charles focuses on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which initiated its ministry...