The Revolving Door Of Religion In Trinidad

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The history of religion on Trinidad and Tobago differ slightly depending on which colonial power came first to the island to claim it, but they are the same in the way that new religions came to the islands and were morphed by those who chose which religion(s) to follow. Trinidad started off with Catholic (Spanish), then there was Anglican (English), Methodist, Baptist, as well as African, and indigenous religions. Tobago started off as English Protestant, Moravian, Scotch Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic. (1) It is a maze to wander through when looking into the changing religions of these two islands because they include so many different religious groups and relationships in these groups, especially Trinidad where Hinduism and Islam are now part of the mix. All of the religions have integrated customs from one another, an example of this comes from "two African-derived religions, Yoruba "Shango". . . and Dahomean "Rada"[who] consider themselves also to be Roman Catholics and participate in Catholic rituals as part of their religious duties" (2), this is also true for the other religions on the island.

There are so many diverse cultures and ethnicities on this little island in the Caribbean, so is it any wonder that there are also going to be so many diverse religions? With so many people coming to Trinidad over the past few hundred years bringing their culture and their religion, it would stand to reason that people will embrace and use what they like from each one. It is comparable to the idea of the process of creolisation where "as the result of the twin processes of 'acculturation', the absorption of one culture by another and 'interculturation' , a more reciprocal and spontaneous process of enrichment and intermixture on both sides" (3),  that this concept could also be applied to that of religion.

                 
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When I continued to think about religion and the role that it played and still plays on the island of Trinidad, it brought to mind one of the stories in Kristen Block's book Ordinary Lives In The Early Caribbean. This story of Nicolas Burundel shows the duality of Christianity during the Inquisition of the seventeenth century in the Caribbean, where being anything but Catholic was heresy. It also shows what some people will do almost anything to be left alone by those in power, saying they belong to one religious group and pretending to be something that they are not. This particular story is comparable to another that I found while on my search to finding what religion was like and what it entailed when it came to the people of Trinidad. It was interesting to see that the people participate in more than religious system and that it is completely acceptable to do so, "one Hindu became a Presbyterian to enter a mission normal school, changed to Catholic to qualify as a teacher in a Catholic school, and then embraced Islam to become the head teacher of a Muslim school". (4) There seems to be room in the religious system of today that did not exist three hundred years ago, where it is perfectly acceptable to change as long as there is the need to. 

 http://gonetoswantravel.com/2012/08/23/morning-view-the-pretty-pink-hindu-temple-trinidad/





1)  http://www.trinidadandtobagofamilyhistory.org/religionandfamil.html

2) Daniel J. Crowley, "Plural and Differential Acculturation in Trinidad." American Anthropologist,   59:5 (1957): 821.

3) Rhoda Reddock, "Contestations Over Culture, Class, Gender And Identity In Trinidad And Tobago: 'The Little Tradition'." Caribbean Quarterly, 44:1/2 (March-June 1998): 64.

4) Daniel J. Crowley, "Plural and Differential Acculturation in Trinidad." American Anthropologist,   59:5 (1957): 822.