Lic. José Millet

Sacred Spaces: Socio-Historical View of Religious Traditions in Oriente Cuba
By Jualynne E. Dodson and Jose Millet.Forthcoming publication.
Jualynne E. Dodson and José Millet Batista's Sacred Spaces: Socio-Historical View of Religious Traditions in Oriente Cuba strongly contributes to knowledge about sacred life in Oriente Cuba. This masterful work discusses the sacred spaces of four distinct religious traditions of the eastern, "Oriente" region of Cuba, and three of the traditions are Africa-based. Sacred Spaces is distinguished by its focus on Oriente as well as by the authors' exploration of the interrelated nature of Oriente sacred life. Importantly, Dodson and Millet utilize critical and precise language to describe the traditions, making the book a seminal resource for readers with varying levels of familiarity with the subject matter.
Sacred Spaces is the result of a rigorous five-year investigation into the specially designated religious spaces of Regla Conga/Palo, Regla de Ocha, Voudu, and Espiritismo. The text is complimented by some twenty-five color photographs that visually describe the richness and complexity of each space. In the nine chapters of the book, Dodson and Millet offer a historically grounded discussion of commonalities among the traditions as well as characteristics that make each distinct. The authors' posture an African worldview as a common thread under girding the religious practices of Oriente Cuba.
Dodson, based in the United States, and Millet from Cuba, form an effective academic team dedicated to dignifying sacred life of Oriente. Sacred Spaces serves as an excellent resource for anyone leisurely or academically interested in Cuba's distinct religious traditions. The clarity with which the book is written makes it accessible to a general audience. However, the authors' conceptual precision matched with high detail makes this work a seminal contribution to the cannon of academic literature about Oriente and Cuba in general. With their collaborative efforts in Sacred Spaces, Dodson and Millet establish their expertise in the arena of Oriente sacred life and set a strong precedent for future research endeavors.
Shanti Ali Zaid and Rashida L. Harrison

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