Author Description

Santería, an African religion derived from the spiritual traditions of the Yoruba people of Nigeria and transported to Cuba during the slave trade has existed under a cloud of suspicion since its introduction. Early media reports of human sacrifice and black magic would link the religion to criminal activity. These rumors would follow the religion into the U.S. where a campaign of fear haunts devotees even today. In regions like the rural southern United States, Santería is one of many spiritual traditions that encounter resistance in a region known colloquially as the ‘Bible Belt’. Anthropologist Anthony Kail takes readers inside the religion of Santería to find the truth about this honored tradition. Guided by a Cuban elder in the religion, Kail is invited into ceremonies where members fight for the lives of innocent victims struck by sorcery. His fieldwork begins to reveal a world that exists where keepers of this tradition must navigate around the norms and outsiders in local society in order to survive. Kail's research leads him to Cuba where he witnesseses the Yoruba religion firsthand on the soil where it was preserved as the tradition of Santería. Fieldwork with the Saints: An Ethnographic Journey into Santería in the American South chronicles Kail’s journey into the challenges, daily life and stories of those who keep this ancient tradition alive in the American South.