Santeria: Origins, Beliefs, and Comparison to Christianity

Introduction to Santeria and Its Origins

Santeria is one of the oldest and richest religious traditions born in the New World. A fusion of Catholicism and the indigenous African religion Iba, Santeria literally means "the way of saints." According to Robinson (2009), Santeria traces its roots to the early 16th century, during the peak of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Yoruba and Bantu slaves from West Africa blended their rituals and beliefs with Catholicism, giving birth to Santeria. Yoruba culture was mainly concentrated in the areas of what is now Benin, southwestern Nigeria, and Togo (Robinson 2009).

Santeria matured into a cohesive faith within several centuries after the forced migration of Yoruba Africans to the New World. As with Voudou in Haiti, Santeria was the conscious attempt to retain African religious traditions under the oppressive conditions of slavery. Similar syncretic religions such as Umbanda, Candomblé, and Palo Mayombe evolved throughout the Caribbean. Many Afro-Caribbean religions fall under the rubric of Santeria.

The Yoruba slaves throughout the Caribbean and South America were forced to convert to Catholicism openly, but secretly "developed a novel way of keeping their old beliefs alive by equating each Orisha of their traditional religions with a corresponding Christian Saint" (Robinson 2009). Santeria may have originally been a derogatory term coined by Catholic priests, but it is now the most widely accepted term for the faith (De La Torre 2004). Sometimes referred to as La Regla de Ocha, Ayoba, and Lucunmi, Santeria is "probably the most practiced religion in Cuba" (De La Torre 2004). Although the root Iba religion is dying out in Africa, Santeria remains a rapidly growing faith in the New World (Robinson 2009). "Once dismissed as a ghetto religion practiced only by the Caribbean poor and uneducated, Santeria has a growing following among middle-class professionals, including white, black, and Asian-Americans" (Alvarez, cited in the BBC's "Santeria").

Geographic Spread and Social Context

Santeria is practiced mainly in Cuba and in the United States by Cuban-Americans. However, Santeria or a Santeria-like faith is also practiced in communities in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela (Leonidas nd; Robinson 2009). The Santeria religion came to the United States by way of Cubans fleeing the Castro regime after the revolution in 1959. Cuban communities throughout the United States — such as those in New York, Los Angeles, and South Florida — are experiencing a revival of interest in Santeria.

Estimated numbers of Santeria practitioners vary because the religion does not maintain a formal census. Moreover, stigma against the faith likely affects self-reporting. Estimates range from 35,000 to half a million practitioners in North America, to five million to as many as a hundred million worldwide (Robinson 2009; "Santeria" nd).

Although Santeria has been stigmatized by negative press — in part because animal sacrifice is recognized as an important aspect of religious practice — it is recognized as a religion in the United States and is protected under the American Constitution. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Santeria worshippers have the right to kill animals as an integral component of the faith. Racism and prejudice may also play a part in why Santeria has been disparaged in the American media: "Santeria practitioners encounter prejudice because of the African origins of the faith" (Leonidas nd).