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Jamaica Genesis: Religion and the Politics of Moral Orders. By Diane J. Austin-Broos. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. xxiv + 304 pp. $50.00 cloth; $19.95 paper.
While Jamaica Genesis focuses on how Pentecostalism shapes the politics of moral discourse for its lower-class Jamaican followers, Austin-Broos discusses her thesis in the context of the history of religion and moral discourse in Jamaica. She highlights not only the conflicting nature of Jamaica's religious history but also the fusion of elements from different traditions to create a dynamic creole (locally fashioned) religious tapestry. This tapestry includes Myalism, a healing cult practiced by slaves and ex-slaves; the Native Baptist Church, popular among Afro-Jamaicans before and after Emancipation; Zion Revival, which emerged from "The Great Revival" that swept Jamaica in the 1860s; and finally, Pentecostalism, which now holds the distinction as the largest religious persuasion in Jamaica.
For most of Jamaica's history, the dominant discourse, as evident in the writings of missionaries, historians, social commentators, travelers, ethnographers, and even fiction writers, shows a concerted attack on the African elements in creole religion. The belief in malevolent (and even beneficient) spiritual forces and the emphasis on healing are castigated as superstitions. Ecstasy and enthusiasm are viewed as fanaticism. Furthermore, the dominant discourse reveals a relentless concern with the moral and ethical sensibilities and practices of Afro-Jamaicans. They are particularly castigated for immorality, as is evident in the low rate of marriages and the high rate of illegitimacy. Levity and laziness are qualities also attributed to the poor who adhere...