Abstract
Today’s large cities contain a diversity of peoples and religions. This study seeks to give voice to alternative visions in the public sphere. In my paper I show that what is known as ‘witchcraft’ has power and relevance for many African people in the modern world today and how such beliefs manifest in practices and rituals. My PhD thesis investigated the survival and spread of African-originated spiritual beliefs and rituals among African and African-Caribbean communities in London. I counter the misunderstandings and stereotypes surrounding African witchcraft, often depicted negatively by Christian churches, the media, popular culture and public discourse. The study challenges the portrayal of African witchcraft as inherently ‘evil’, recognising the importance of understanding Africa-derived/Africa-centred religious traditions and spirituality as a lived religion that promotes good health and good fortune and directs misfortune away. I argue that these beliefs have no single moral direction, used as they have been for millennia, as a tool to explain predict and control (Horton 1975) events affecting the wellbeing of the community and its individual members. The core of this research centres on the voices of respondents and how people’s everyday lives are shaped by belief and spirituality.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Christianity, Misfortune, Witchcraft, Explanation, Prediction, Control
