Recreating Africa: Culture, Kinship, and Religion in the African-Portuguese World.

Literature Review: Recreating Africa by James Sweet

In the book, Recreating Africa, James Sweet explores the lives of African slaves in terms

of culture in the context of the old Portuguese colonial world. He argues that Africans used their

cultural beliefs when they were taken as slaves. They used their culture to challenge and

influence Catholicism that was being practiced in Brazil. The problem here is the resistance of

Africans to throw away their cultural beliefs in the faces of oppression by their colonial masters.

These communities for instance the This analysis looks at the millions of Central Africans that

prevailed the problematic journey to south American, specifically Brazil and unravels what their

lives looked like. In this book, Sweet focuses on their life as Africans and not Brazilians (Aimé,

128). for instance the With a specific focus on the lives and cultural practices of the slaves from

central African communities like the Ndembu, Kongo and Imbangala, Sweet continued

practicing their examines the particular rites as well as even after beliefs that prevailed their

departure from Africa into the Portuguese colonial world. His Sweet’s central argument here is

that they did not give up on their culture immediately they were sold as slaves but stuck with

them for some time.analysis is based on how Africans practiced their culture in Brazil while at

the same time enriching our comprehension on the creolization process and how African culture

survived.

Through the access of various historical materials obtained fromhis analysis of

Iinquisition trials, the author reveals in the book shows that Central African the slaves brought

took them many cultural practicesrites from Africa to Brazil. Some of those that they carried

along werethese practices included divination rituals, burial rituals, kinship restrictions on a diet,
judicial ordeals as well as their respective secret societies (Sweet, 1444). They used these rituals

to hold their own in the face of challenges and adversities. At the end of the day they prevailed

against the Catholicism that was dominant in the Brazilian culture. He posits that Africans

maintained these structures in their initial day in the Portuguese colonial world. However, with

time these practices transformed a bit as they learned to adapt to their new environment.

In this realization, they used religious rituals as portent approaches to fighting slavery and

hardships that they were protesting against. Additionally, he says that many African cultural

practices and morphed and incorporated Brazilian practices, for instance, Catholicism. The

primary focus is on the creolization and how these transformations impacted on the lives and

culture of the Africans.

This idea of African cultures subduing the creolization problem has been addressed by

scholars. aother writers as well. In his article on the Khan Academy journal, Peri Klemm posits

that the contact of cultures resulting from colonization resulted in many African cultures losing

their originality. He says that art was the most affected of all aspects of learning. In this regard,

Iit is easy to understand how Sweet says that African cultures were significantly transformed as a

result of this contact. They initially resisted but eventually yielded as they adapted into the new

environment and social systems. He says that many historians that focused on the “creolized”

Atlantic World consider the Black Atlantic as synonymous with the African Diaspora. Also,

creolization suggests that cultural practices are lost as people adapted or assimilated to colonial

society. Sweet forms part of the “revisionist school” along with Paul Lovejoy, Michael Gomez,

etc. who put Africa at the center of the history.

The way African cultures were reformed in new territory and the resilience of Africans to

hold on to their beliefs forms the critical dimensions of the problem. He achronologically
analyzes the changes that Central African cultures underwent especially in the context of the new

cultures surrounding them. The examination of this problem is essential as it serves to inspire

other Africans on how they should safeguard their cultural rights. The biggest opponent they

were facing was the creolization and they used their cultural beliefs to overcome it.Using the

historical literature and evidence from Iinquisition trials, Sweet says argues that Africans were

confident about the ability of their cultural believes in helping them solve their daily problems

even in the context of the new world.

He gives evidence like the kinship systems that were applied in solving the structural

problems and the Culundu ceremonies highlighted in chapter five (Sweet, 1441).). These

ceremonies were held to condemn slavery and proved to be very portent tools in their campaign

to freedom. TIn this chapter also highlights that even the colonial masters respected and feared

these powers. This aspect is well documented throughout the book. He says that the religious

arsenal was very effective in helping the slaves fight against oppression. They used these rituals

and practices in solving conflicts and daily problems that they faced with much efficiently and

coherence in their social systems. This fact was an assurance to that that indeed their culture was

real and it could bail them out when they were faced with difficulties.

James Sweet supplies numerous pieces of evidence to support his course. He mentions

that an undiluted African religion, as well as unwavering spirituality, formed the base of their

resistance against colonial oppression. Throughout the bookIn chapters 4-5, he outlines the

conspicuous features in the African cosmology that was of great help to the slaves. Examples on

these are the divination rituals that were used in solving criminal activities. These rituals could

make a ruling on a given offender. Some ceremonies involved spirits, for instance, the Culundu.
 These ceremonies were vital as they could help in finding a cure for various illnesses

within the community. The specialists performing these rites were in demand and could receive

substantial compensation for their incredible services. (Klemm and Leah Niederstadt, 10). These

rites were significant as they reminded them of their true African background. They were armed

with these weapons the slaves could attack their opponents on many occasions. This ranges from

rituals that were performed to heal diseases and those mean to inspire good fortune in the

community. They could use these in asking for victory against their masters.

In this story, the author was very successful in bringing out how African cultures helped

the slaves prevail the colonization ordeal. His follow through was very convincing through the

examples he gave. His work provoked rave reviews, and many scholars have tried to build on his

work. This is a clear indication that his findings augured well with many people especially

Africans. They view this as a masterpiece of exploring how unwavering the African culture is

regardless of the situation or hardship.

Iffy, This is a good first draft. I offered a couple of rewrites/suggestions to give you an idea of

how to improve grammar, sentence structure, etc. It looks like you’re going in the right direction,

just exclude any outside sources. The purpose of this exercise is for you to evaluate how Sweet

reconstructed this history. I also offered feedback on areas where you can strengthen or elaborate

on some of your points. (I noticed a bit of jumping from one idea to the next without explaining

why those ideas are important.)

 Works Cited

Sweet, James Hoke. Recreating Africa: culture, kinship, and religion in the African-Portuguese

world, 1441-1770. Univ of North Carolina Press, 2003.

What is the historical problem or question that is being investigated?

1. How did the author come upon this problem? 

2. What is the existing state of knowledge?   

1. Are there other studies that deal with this topic or related problems for other

countries, periods, etc? Does this literature have any obvious merits or shortcomings?

How well does the author integrate their study into the wider scholarly literature on the

topic?