Ritual Performance of the Santo Daime Church in Miami: Co-constructive Selves in the Midst of Impediments to Local Acculturation

Santo Daime, a syncretic religion born in the 1930s in the Amazon, has become an international New Religion Movement that attracts a disenchanted middle class through shamanic power, nature veneration, universal love, and the psychoactive plant medicine ayahuasca. In Miami, the church faces acculturation challenges due to a rigid, grueling ritual, a pervasive Catholic ethos, and a lack of internal bureaucracy, leading to declining membership. Research methods included ethnographic work, literature review, personal interviews, and exegesis of sacred hymns. Relaxing the ritual's military ethos and improving marketing in the New-Age religiosity marketplace could aid acculturation in Miami, an ideal incubator for migrant, Latin American, and Caribbean religions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A syncretic religion born in the 1930s in the Amazonian jungle, Santo Daime today is an international flag-bearer in the evolving New Religion Movement (NRM) landscape. Shamanic power, nature veneration, universal love and the quest for a transcendental divine experience thanks to the psychoactive indigenous plant medicine ayahuasca define the Santo Daime allure for a new middle class disenchanted with capitalism. Church acculturation issues in Miami are linked to a rigid and grueling ritual, pervasive Catholic ethos and a lack of internal bureaucracy leading to declining membership threatening the very survival of the church in Miami. Research methods include ethnographic work, literature review, personal interviews and the exegesis of sacred hymns or hinarios. Relaxing the ritual military ethos and improved marketing on the New-Age religiosity marketplace among others would help Santo Daime acculturate better in Miami, an ideal incubator city for evaluating the melting-pot of migrant, Latin American and Caribbean religions into this region.