Soul and Vital Force: Vibrant Life Matters and Mortuary Arts in Africana Religions and Beyond

• Type of Material: Book Chapter
• Authors: Kyrah Malika Daniels, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022
• Publisher: Emory University Libraries
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © the editors and contributors severally, 2022
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407360430
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Beyond Death: Beliefs, Practice, and Material Expression
• Edition: 1
• Place of Publication or Presentation: Oxford, UK
• Stichwort: African Diaspora community; Black Atlantic religions; prosperity; rituals; principles; reincarnation; immortality; devotee; prayer
• Research Categories: History, African; Religion, History of

Abstract

Religious devotees all over the world pray for long and healthy life, one hopefully flled with prosperity and purpose. However, the search for immortality is not a universal quest of humankind. In African and African Diaspora religious communities, few rituals aim to prolong life indefnitely, as this would disrupt the cosmic fow of new and returning souls journeying to earth. Instead, African-derived communities emphasize the quality of a vibrant and well-balanced life, one lived with integrity and intention to fulfll the destiny of the soul(s). Tis thematic essay highlights core principles of longevity, livity, and the vibrancy of life within Black Atlantic religions. Tese insights ultimately reveal how life’s vital force is sustained through balance, ritual, and the fortifcation of souls and divine energies. Case studies explore other religious traditions with similar characteristics in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.