About
Santería is a syncretic religious tradition that emerged in Cuba, primarily integrating elements of the Yoruba religion brought by enslaved Africans with aspects of Catholicism. As a significant research concept and field of study within religious studies, anthropology, sociology, and history, it investigates the historical formation, theological structures (including the *Orisha* pantheon and their identification with Catholic saints), ritual practices (such as divination, sacrifice, music, and spirit possession), social organization (house temples and priesthood), and cultural significance of this tradition among its practitioners, particularly within the Afro-Cuban diaspora. Academic inquiry into santería explores themes of religious adaptation, cultural resilience, identity formation, and the complex dynamics of syncretism under conditions of colonialism, slavery, and migration.