Lioba Rossbach de Olmos: Entgrenzte Religiosität. Die afrokubanische Santería-Religion in Europa zwischen Kult, Kunst und Kultur

Abstract. − The concept of the “dislimitation” (Entgrenzung) of religion has emerged in recent debates of the German sociology of religion, characterizing a new spiritual search of an increasing number of people that, although turning their back on the established religious denominations and churches, articulate simultaneously a new desire for a more spiritual religiousness. Thereby, the existing limitation of religion in special architectural and social spaces, originated in the wake of the Enlightenment, is questioned and dealt with in a new way. Some foreign traditional religions that arrived at Europe in the context of transnational migration movements always showed a greater permeability and elasticity towards art and music, and they enrich religious experience with motifs and forms of expression such as art and popular music. The Afro-Cuban Santería with its ritual and spiritual richness and sensual forms of expression is a typical example of such religions that are satisfying both religious and artistic desires. The article deals with the Afro-Cuban religion and its “dislimitation” for Cuba and for the European diaspora. [Cuba, Santería, popular religion, religious dislimitation, religious experimentation]