Umbanda: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

Afro-Brazilian syncretic religion

Umbanda (Portuguese pronunciation: [ũˈbɐ̃dɐ]) is an Afro-Brazilian religion that emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. Deriving largely from Spiritism, it also combines elements from Afro-Brazilian traditions like Candomblé as well as Roman Catholicism. There is no central authority in control of Umbanda, which is organized around autonomous places of worship termed centros or terreiros.

Umbanda has many branches, each one with a different set of beliefs and practices. Some common beliefs are the existence of a Supreme Being and creator of the universe known as Olodumare. Other common beliefs are the existence of deities called Orixás, most of them syncretized with Catholic saints that act as divine energy and forces of nature; spirits of deceased people that counsel and guide practitioners through troubles in the material world; psychics, or mediums, who have a natural ability that can be perfected to bring messages from the spiritual world of Orixás and the guiding spirits; reincarnation and spiritual evolution through many material lives (karmic law) and the practice of charity and social fraternity.

Although some of its beliefs and most of its practices existed in the late 19th century in almost all Brazil, it is assumed that Umbanda originated in Niterói and surrounding areas in the early 20th century, mainly due to the work of Zélio Fernandino de Moraes, a psychic (“medium“) who practiced Umbanda among the poor Brazilians of African descent. Umbanda gained increased social recognition and respectability amid the military dictatorship of 1964 to 1985, despite growing opposition from both the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostal groups.

In its heyday of the 1960s and 1970s, Umbanda was estimated to have between 10 and 20 million followers in Brazil. In the 21st century, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians identify as Umbandists. Umbanda is found primarily in urban areas of southern Brazil although has spread throughout the country and to other parts of the Americas.

Definitions[edit]

Formed in Rio de Janeiro during the 1920s, Umbanda combines elements of Kardecist Spiritism (Espiritismo) with ideas from Afro-Brazilian religions like Candomblé. Umbanda also incorporates elements of Roman Catholicism, with many Umbandists identifying as Roman Catholics. Additionally, Umbanda has been influenced by Asian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, while some Umbandist groups have adopted New Age practices. Some Umbandists have also practiced Santo Daime.

Practitioners are called Umbandistas. Historically, Umbanda has often been referred to as Macumba, a pejorative term for Afro-Brazilian popular religious traditions, and some Umbandists have referred to themselves as macumbeiros, often in jest due to the negative connotations of these terms.

Umbanda is not a unified religion, and has no central authority. It displays considerable variation and eclecticism, being highly adaptable, and taking various different forms. Much of this variation is regional. Umbandist groups exist on a spectrum from those emphasising connections to Spiritism to those emphasising links with Candomblé and related Afro-Brazilian religions. Groups taking the former position often refer to themselves as practicing Umbanda branca (“White Umbanda”), while the anthropologist Lindsay Hale referred to the more Africanist wing as “Afro-Brazilian Umbanda”. Most Umbandist groups exist at points between these two extremes.

Reflecting its origins in Kardecist Spiritism, Umbanda has been labelled a Western esoteric tradition. It has also been called an Afro-Brazilian religion, although scholar of religion Steven Engler cautioned that Africanised ritual elements are not present in all Umbandist groups and that the Kardecist influence was more significant over Umbanda as a whole. Scholars often regard these Afro-Brazilian traditions as existing on a continuum rather than being firmly distinct from each other. In practice, Afro-Brazilian religions often mix, rather than existing in pure forms. Groups combining elements of Umbanda and Candomblé are sometimes termed “Umbandomblé”, although this is rarely embraced by practitioners themselves. Omolocô was founded in Rio de Janeiro as an intermediate religion between Candomblé and Umbanda.
Umbanda is often presented as being opposed to Quimbanda, with Umbandists claiming that they work for good, and that Quimbandists work for evil.

Beliefs[edit]

Umbanda has an elaborate cosmology, although there is no authoritative source ensuring a standardised cosmological belief among practitioners. Umbandist theology is largely Kardecist in basis, adopting the Kardecist emphasis on reincarnation and spiritual evolution.

Umbandists have claimed that theirs is not a new religion but an ancient tradition transmitted from somewhere else on the Earth. Some practitioners have claimed that it derives from…