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The Nigerian Diaspora is now world-wide, and when Yoruba travel, they take with them their religious organizations. As a member of the Cherubim and Seraphim church in London for over thirty years, anthropologist Hermione Harris explores a world of prayer, spirit possession, and divination through dreams and visions. Through their religious practice, church members enlist the Holy Spirit to defend themselves against witchcraft and evil spirits, and make a success of their lives. Although the new Nigerian 'Born Again' Pentecostals in Britain turn away from C&S ritual, Harris argues that they too are engaged in the search for spiritual power.
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YORUBA IN DIASPORA CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION A series published with the Society for the Anthropology of Religion Robert Hefner, Series Editor Boston University Published by Palgrave Macmillan Body / Meaning / Healing By Thomas J. Csordas The Weight of the Past: Living with History in Mahajanga, Madagascar By Michael Lambek After the Rescue: Jewish Identity and Community in Contemporary Denmark By Andrew Buckser Empowering the Past, Confronting the Future By Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart Islam Obscured: The Rhetoric of Anthropological Representation By Daniel Martin Varisco Islam, Memory, and Morality in Yemen: Ruling Families in Transition By Gabrielle Vom Bruck A Peaceful Jihad: Negotiating Identity and Modernity in Muslim Java By Ronald Lukens-Bull The Road to Clarity: Seventh-Day Adventism in Madagascar By Eva Keller Yoruba in Diaspora: An African Church in London By Hermione Harris Yoruba in Diaspora An African Church in London Hermione Harris YORUBA IN DIASPORA: AN AFRICAN CHURCH IN LONDON © Hermione Harris, 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in 2006 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™ 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN-13: 978–1–4039–7480–8 ISBN-10: 1–4039–7480–2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Harris, Hermione. Yoruba in diaspora: an African church in London/Hermione Harris. p. cm.—(Contemporary anthropology of religion) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1–4039–7480–2 (alk.paper) 1. Yoruba (African people)—England—London—Religion. 2. London (England)—Religion. I. Title. II. Series. BL980.G7H37 2006 289.9'3089963330421—dc22 2006041563 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: September 2006 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America. For Alexis and Anna, and in memory of Marc This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 “Stars of the World”: Yoruba Worker-Students in Britain 19 Chapter 3 The Cherubim and Seraphim Church, United Kingdom 41 Chapter 4 From Akj to Agbara: The Concept of Spiritual Power in the Cherubim and Seraphim 55 Chapter 5 “Electrical Energy”: Dynamic Metaphors of Spiritual Power 83 Chapter 6 Experiencing Power: Possession by the Holy Spirit 111 Chapter 7 Revelation as Divinatory Practice 139 Chapter 8 “Practic