Publisher's Synopsis
As the subtitle indicates, this study focuses on Puerto Rican Spiritism, that mixture of spiritualism and the teachings of Allan Kardec that swept Latin America inspite of the Roman Catholic church's strong opposition. Dr Perez y Mena traces the movement's historical growth, then investigates its function today, how it differs from similar practices, such as the Cuban ""Santeria"", its practices and promises, and how the congregation participates. The roles of Godchild (""Ahijado""), the Godfather (""Padrino""), the public (""El Publica"") and the associates (""Los Asociados"") in the ""centro espiritista"" are described as well as the fulfilling role of Afro-Latin cultural beliefs generally among latinos in the United States.
