Divining Slavery and Freedom
The Story of Domingos Sodré, an African Priest in Nineteenth-Century Brazil

This book discusses African religion and its place in a slave society, using the story of Domingos Sodré as its backdrop.

João José Reis (Author), H. Sabrina Gledhill (Translated by)

9781107439092, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 April 2015

370 pages, 55 b/w illus. 4 maps 1 table
22.9 x 15.3 x 2 cm, 0.51 kg

'Readers of Divining Slavery and Freedom will also not be reading Reis's precise words, but because of the excellent translation by Sabrina Gledhill, I do think they will be hearing his 'voice.' Throughout the book, Gledhill has succeeded in retaining Reis's familiar register, which engagingly combines the authoritative with the colloquial. … the book is a pleasure to read and we can thank both Reis and Gledhill for that.' Barbara Weinstein, The American Historical Review

Since its original publication in Portuguese in 2008, this first English translation of Divining Slavery has been extensively revised and updated, complete with new primary sources and a new bibliography. It tells the story of Domingos Sodré, an African-born priest who was enslaved in Bahia, Brazil in the nineteenth century. After obtaining his freedom, Sodré became a slave owner himself, and in 1862 was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods from slaves in exchange for supposed 'witchcraft'. Using this incident as a catalyst, the book discusses African religion and its place in a slave society, analyzing its double role as a refuge for blacks as well as a bridge between classes and ethnic groups (such as whites who attended African rituals and sought help from African diviners and medicine men). Ultimately, Divining Slavery explores the fluidity and relativity of conditions such as slavery and freedom, African and local religions, personal and collective experience and identities in the lives of Africans in the Brazilian diaspora.

Preface
1. Cops and Candomblé in Domingos Sodré's day
2. From an African in Onim to a slave in Bahia
3. Domingos Sodré, diviner
4. Witchcraft and slavery
5. Witchcraft and manumission
6. Meet some friends of Domingos Sodré, 7. Domingos Sodré
Epilogue.

Subject Areas: Other non-Christian religions [HRK], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK], African history [HBJH]