‘Wij zijn geen folklore, wij zijn een religie!’
Religie & Samenleving December 18, 2024 DOI: 10.54195/rs.13121 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that candomblé priests' demand for recognition as a 'religion' is part of a political project to assert public voice and counter cultural appropriation, but that this demand requires refashioning the creed along a Christian model of religion. |
Abstract
‘An increasing number of priests from candomblé – an Afro-Brazilian spirit possession cult – publicly demand that their creed is recognized as a full-fledged ‘religion’. In this article I discuss how this demand is part of a larger political project whereby candomblé priests seek to assert their voice in the public sphere of Salvador, Bahia, thus to counter the all out appropriation of candomblé myths, symbols and aesthetics by cultural entrepreneurs, tourist organizations and other outsiders. While candomblé has proven quite successful in these attempts, I show that the demand to be recognized as a ‘religion’ comes at a price: far from being a neutral term, ‘religion’ is a thoroughly Christian format. All creeds that make a public claim to be a ‘religion’ thus require to refashion themselves along this Christian model.