RS170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Paul Gilroy, Liberation Theology, Spirit Possession
Document Summary
Paul gilroy is a black man who writes about anti-racism in the context of critiquing nationalism. Looking at the experience of migration, and the problems of tying nationalism to race. There is no back to africa , as africa has changed. The people who move back to africa are not unmarked. Their culture has interacted with other cultures now, so african culture is no longer pure . A concentration on this world as opposed to another world. Life is pain and suffering (often due to breaks in relationships, such as death), and it is relieved through ritual. Spirit possession is common in these rituals, often involving the priest or priestess being possessed by an ancestor to assist with their wisdom. This is done through the development of a trance, through drugs or rhythmic music. Two prominent african cultural groups: fon: term for spirits is loa , yoruba: term for spirits was orisha .
