Reis, Joao Jose (Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil)

Divining Slavery and Freedom: The Story of Domingos Sodre, an African Priest in Nineteenth-Century Brazil - New Approaches to the Americas Reis, Joao Jose (Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil)

Marc Notes: Translated from the Portuguese.; Includes bibliographical references and index.; Domingos Sodre, an African diviner enslaved in Brazil, managed to obtain his freedom and become a slave owner himself. The book uses Sodre's 1862 arrest on suspicion of witchcraft as a catalyst for discussing African religion and its place in Brazil's slave society. Since its original publication in Portuguese in 2008, this first English translation of 'Divining Slavery' has been extensively revised and updated, complete with new primary sources and a new bibliography."Brief Description: This book discusses African religion and its place in a slave society, using the story of Domingos Sodre as its backdrop."Table of Contents: Preface; 1. Cops and Candomble in Domingos Sodre's day; 2. From an African in Onim to a slave in Bahia; 3. Domingos Sodre, diviner; 4. Witchcraft and slavery; 5. Witchcraft and manumission; 6. Meet some friends of Domingos Sodre, 7. Domingos Sodre; Epilogue."Review Quotes: "The main character in this book was an African born in Lagos and taken to Brazil on a slave ship; but there he obtained manumission and became owner of slaves. Although a diviner and healer, the leading figure of a candomble house of worship, Domingos Sodre married in a Catholic church. He led a society devoted to buying the freedom of enslaved Africans; however, the organization lent money for a profit. Joao Jose Reis offers a brilliant account of the complexities of life in Atlantic slavery. This book is an instant classic." Sidney Chalhoub, University of Campinas, Brazil"Review Quotes: "The preeminent historian of slavery in Brazil has given us a powerful biography, set in the context of Afro-Atlantic history and religion, masterfully revealing how a talented slave regained his freedom, after which he then earned a living as a merchant, property owner, and candomble priest with enormous authority and influence. Drawing on a rich archive and grounded in critical historical phases, the outcome of this careful and meticulous work profoundly reshapes our thinking on nineteenth-century slave society as well as the forces that shaped the foundation of modern Brazil." Toyin Falola, University of Texas, Austin"Review Quotes: "This deeply researched and beautifully written book is a masterpiece of Atlantic history and slavery studies. Few scholars would be able to accomplish such a goal. The doyen of slave studies, Joao Jose Reis's storytelling skills and analytical power are unmatchable. While painstakingly analyzing the trajectory of Domingos Sodre, an African man who made his way out of slavery to become an important religious authority in Salvador, Brazil, he provides a broad and complex painting of Brazilian religious, social, and cultural fabrics. This landmark study represents social history at its best, and it will become an indispensable reference in Atlantic history." Roquinaldo Ferreira, Brown University"Review Quotes: "In Divining Slavery and Freedom a complex interpretation of imperial Brazil is woven from the meticulously reconstructed life of the African-born man Domingos Sodre, a healer and diviner who made his way in Bahian society by engaging both in the 'freedom business' and in the 'slavery business'. Historians often hope to offer analytic insight while narrating an engrossing story; Joao Jose Reis has achieved this goal beautifully." Rebecca J. Scott, University of Michigan"

Contributor Bio:  Reis, Joao Jose Joao Jose Reis is Professor of History at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil. An award-winning historian and lifetime Honorary Foreign Member of the American Historical Association, he has published extensively on the history of slavery in nineteenth-century Brazil. Contributor Bio:  Gledhill, H Sabrina H. Sabrina Gledhill is the author of many scholarly articles, essays and book chapters, and has translated over thirty books.