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The Concept of Justice in the Religions of the CaribbeanAuthor(s): Merrill SingerSource:
Phylon (1960-),
Vol. 46, No. 4, (4th Qtr., 1985), pp. 296-299Published by: Clark Atlanta UniversityStable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/274870
Accessed: 21/04/2008 19:23
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ByMERRILLSINGER
TheConceptofJusticeintheReligionsoftheCaribbean
IN
HERPAPER
"Religionand JusticeinHaitianVodoun,"'ErikaBourguignonraises thefollowingquestion:wherein thesyncretic,folkreligionsoftheCaribbeanare we to lookfor notionsofjustice?Are notthesereligions bynaturepractical,earth-boundfaithsgearedtotheimmediate,instrumentalconcernsofeverydaylife,rather thanto thedevelopmentoffinelygrainedphilosophicalanalysesofthehumanpredicamentandother ultimatemoraland ethical concerns?WhiletheadmittedlydiversereligionsoftheCaribbeanmayhave theirpriestsandother ritualspecialists,dotheynotas a rule lackspecialized,full-time,contemplative priesthoods?Again,whiletheyhaverichlydevelopedsetsof sacredbeliefs,aretheynotlackingwhen itcomes tosacredtextsand otherwritten codes ofproperconduct andmorality?Toanswerthe locationalquestionssheraises,Bourguignonlookstotheworldof actionenvisionedbyCaribbeanreligions,i.e.,to the worldofspiritsastheyintervenein the affairs of womenandmen. AsGeorgeEatonSimpsonhasshown,thespiritsare concernedwithrightnessinbehavior;crimesoftenarepunishedandgooddeeds rewardedbythespirits.2Thisattribute,whichSimpsondescribesfortheloa ofvodun,isseenalsoinBarrett's accountofCuminiainJamaica,3Sandoval'sdescriptionofSanteriainCuba,andinthebehaviorof theespiritusof Puerto RicanEspiritismo.4As anespiritistain-formantexplainedtome,"thespiritsarelikethelaw,theywillpunishthosewho areevil andhelpthose who doright."Bourguignonalsoraises the issueofmagic.InEspiritismo,atleast,there is asenseofjusticeheretoo,onethatis embodiedintheplatitudethat thosewholivebythesword shall diebyit. Whilemagiccancausefear,and thereforecanbecomean instrument ofoppressionandsocialcontrol,therealso existsthe beliefthatmagiccan have a"boomerangeffect."As MetrauxnoteswithreferencetothesorcererinVodun,"theguiltyparty...runstherisk offindinghimself onthewrongsideofhis ownfamilyloa.As asignoftheirdispleasuretheymaywithdrawtheirprotectionandabandonhim,withoutdefence,to thesorceriesandcharmsofhis enemies...whoeverpracticesmagichasgoodreasonto fearthemagicofotherpeople."5As thissuggests,magicis an accessiblecommodity.If threatenedbysomeone else'smagic,anindividualisinapositiontoacquiremagicof his own.Further,asMetrauxobserves,if"theparentsof someonedeceasedsuspect<magical> poisoning
'ErikaBourguignon,"ReligionandJusticein HaitianVodoun"Phylon (currentissue).
2
GeorgeEatonSimpson,"IdeasAbout UltimateRealityandMeaningin HaitianVodoun,"UltimateRealityandMeaning3(1980):187-89.3LeonardE.Barrett,Soul-Force:AfricanHeritageinAfro-AmericanReligions(NewYork,1974).
4Mercedes
Sandoval,"SanteriaasaMentalHealthCareSystem,"SocialScienceandMedicine13B(1979):137-51.5AlfredMetraux,VoodooinHaiti(NewYork,1972),p.273.
Vol.XLVI,No.4,1985296
 
JUSTICEIN THERELIGIONSOF THECARIBBEANthey spareneithermoneynortroubletodiscover theculpritand hitback."6Hence,whilemagicispower,it isnotaremovedpower residingintheheavens;rather itis anavailable,acquirablepowerthatliterallyallowsthevictim orhisproxyto takejusticeinto his own hands whennecessary.The variousexamplesoftheplaceofjusticeintheCaribbeanreligionsdiscussedabove can begroupedintoacommoncategory,onethatmightbelabeledpracticaljustice.The several mechanisms ofjusticeexamined thus farare concernedprimarilywithprovidingassurance topeoplethathoweverharshlifemightseem andwhatever threats ordangersmightlurk on eitherthe natural orsupernaturalplanes,there is fairness in theworld,orat leastthemeansto even the score-forvengeancetoo isaform ofjustice.Practicaljusticeisfocused on the affairsofeverydaylife,thepetty jealousies, interper-sonalsquabbles,andsimpleinsults of communallife,aswellasa whole hostof misfortunesofcommonoccurrence.Commonly,thisexpressionofjusticeistiedupwitheffortstoprotecttheindividualfromillness causedbytheinterventionof malevolentsupernaturalbeingsand forcesorto healhim ofsuchillnessonceit occurs.7 It is involvedprimarilyinreestablishinga balanceinsocialandsupernaturalrelations,a balancedisruptedbecause someoneorsomethingoversteppedthe bounds of fairness.Thus,withBourguignon,wecan concludethatdespitetheinstrumentalcharacterof Caribbeanreligions,despitethe lackof a formalpriesthoodor codifiedprinciples,thereis indeed aconceptionandapracticeofjustice,and furtherthatmaintenance of ajustfoundation fordailylifeis acentral concernofthesereligions.But,inmyestimation,there isanotherlocationfor ortypeofjusticein thereligionsof theCaribbean,onethatis borneof theparticular historyoftheregionforthe lastfive hundredyears.HereIrefer to what somebelievetobetheunderlyingthrust of thesereligions.Ingettingat thissense ofjustice,it isimportantto rememberthatjustice,likeanyother socialideal,can be definedinmany ways;theterm is broad anditsapplicationsmoreso.RonaldReagan,forexample,no doubtviews theinvasion andoccupationof GrenadabytheUnitedStatesin1983 as ajustact;andhis assistants havescrambledto discoveralegalbasisfor what themajorityof theworld'speoples,asexpressedin theUnitedNationsvote,condemnas ablatant actofinjustice.Indeedthe entirehistoryof theCaribbean,ahistorywritten with theblood, sweat,and tearsofthosewho havetoiledmost but benefited least from thebountyof theregion,can besaid to turnon theself-servinguseofprinciplesofjustice.Asthishistoryshows,justicein itsapplicationis tied tointerest,toconflict,andtostruggle.ItisinthislightthatBaer andSingerhavearguedthat thereligionsofracially, politically,andeconomicallyoppressedpeopleshavetendedto con-tain,straightforwardlyor moresubtlely,apleafor historicjusticeandtoprovide,onoccasion,an arenaforacting uponthisplea.8Whether sucha
6Metraux,op.cit.,p.272.
7
MerrillSingerand MariaG.Borrero,"IndigenousTreatment for Alcoholism:TheCaseof Puerto RicanSpiritism,"MedicalAnthropology8(1984):246-73.8Hans A. Baer and MerrillSinger,"TowardaTypologyofBlack SectarianismasaResponseto RacialStratification,"AnthropologicalQuarterly54(1981):1-14.
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