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Journal of the American Academy of Religion 2001 69(1):21-42; doi:10.1093/jaarel/69.1.21
© 2001 by American Academy of Religion
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¡No Hay Ningún Santo Aqui! (There Are No Saints Here!): Symbolic Language within Santera

Mary Ann Clark

Mary Ann Clark holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Rice University resides in Houston, TX77025

Although Santería is commonly understood to be a syncretistic combination of Catholic and West African religious practices, in this article I argue that West African religious beliefs and practices are integral to the religion while the Catholic elements are decorative and nonessential. Based on the finding that Santería altar displays contain few or no statues of Catholic saints or other anthropomorphic figures, I suggest that the tendency within santería to eschew anthropomorphic figures lies at the center of devotees' understanding of spirituality and materiality and the place of the human body in religious practice. Seen through the practices of Santería, there is not a natural opposition between the material and the spiritual because the material, both natural and manufactured, forms appropriate sites of the holy. In addition, I suggest that the spanish terms santo, santero, and Santería itself reflect and translate Yoruba terms and concepts rather than primarily serving to camouflage the religion.


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