Living Santería

In 1992 Smithsonian anthropologist Michael Atwood Mason traveled to Cuba for initiation as a priest into the Santería religion. Since then he has created an active oricha “house” and has initiated five others as priests. He is a rare combination: a scholar-practitioner who is equally fluent in his profession and his religion. Interweaving his roles as researcher and priest, Mason explores Santería as a contemporary phenomenon and offers an understanding of its complexity through his own experiences and those of its many practitioners. Balancing deftly between a devotee’s account of participation and an anthropologist’s theoretical analysis, Living Santería offers an original and insightful understanding of this growing religious tradition.

Living Santería: Rituals and Experiences in an Afro-Cuban Religion is written by Michael Atwood Mason and published by Smithsonian (RHP). The Digital and eTextbook ISBNs for Living Santería are 9781588345486, 1588345483 and the print ISBNs are 9781588340771, 1588340775.