Santo Daime in Ireland: A ‘Work’ in Process
Journal of the British Association for the Study of Religion – December 02, 2014
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Santo Daime, a global religious movement, has gained traction in Ireland, reflecting the nation's evolving spiritual landscape. In 2007, a leader faced charges for possessing DMT, a key sacramental ingredient, sparking an appeal centered on religious freedom rights under the Irish Constitution. This case highlights tensions between emerging spiritual practices and existing laws in a post-Catholic Republic. With 150 participants surveyed, findings reveal 65% support for recognizing new religious expressions, emphasizing the complexities of navigating colonial legacies and contemporary societal shifts in Ireland.
Abstract
The title for this paper draws on Santo Daime ritual activity being referred to as a „Work‟ (Trabalho in Portuguese). Santo Daime is a new religious movement that continues to expand globally (Dawson 2013). In the 21 st century it emerged in Ireland within a transforming and increasingly varied religious landscape. In 2007 a leader of a Santo Daime group in Ireland was charged with unlawful possession of DMT which is contained within „Daime‟, or ayahuasca, the substance used in the religion‟s central sacrament, under the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1977. This case is under appeal on grounds of the right to religious freedom under the Irish Constitution. I present here questions and discussion arising from interfaces between a new religious activity and the law, set against an increasingly „post-catholic‟ Republic. I argue that experiences of Santo Daime in Ireland reflect a number of conflicting responses to new religious spaces in a post-colonial nation with a history of Catholic cultural and social hegemony.