THE BELIEVERS: Real Life Encounters  (Paperback, Glenville Ashby, Ph.D)

"Description: On a balmy evening in St James, Trinidad, I presented The Believers to an anticipatory audience, most of whom were devotees of the Spiritual Baptist and Orisa communities. It was a lively encounter where I fielded many pressing questions. The tenor was electric as some passionately debated some of the book’s content. It was the first of many similar scenes. I reminded the audience that the material was a narrative that captured the feelings, perceptions, and beliefs of those I interviewed and should in no way comprehensively represent the historical complexity of Caribbean religions. Spirituality, through the lens of many believers, is purely utilitarian. How can an otherworldly practice be employed to surmount life’s vagaries and challenges, is the overriding thrust of those interviewed. Here, faith takes on a sublunary meaning with largely economic and social implications. In many ways, a shadow society, a society within a society, is created by these practitioners who seamlessly, and clandestinely navigate the rules of normative and subcultural landscapes. This is the magical dynamic that I have attempted to capture. Although the backdrop is in Queens, New York, the experiences reflect our psycho-religious construct since the days of old. Here, Queens is a microcosm of a larger truth experienced in every clime and place. We have always held that unseen forces - supernal and demonic - can be propitiated through rites and rituals. Mastery of our surroundings takes on a Herculean quality. The occult, more than religious orthodoxy, is our best recourse. We create our own syncretic brew for maximum effect. By any means necessary, we aim to retaliate against"