Symbolic Interactionism

Rising from the concept that our world is socially constructed, symbolic interactionism studies the
symbols and interactions of everyday life. To interactionists, beliefs and experiences are not sacred
unless individuals in a society regard them as sacred. The Star of David in Judaism, the cross in
Christianity, and the crescent and star in Islam are examples of sacred symbols. Interactionists are
interested in what these symbols communicate. Because interactionists study one-on-one, everyday
interactions between individuals, a scholar using this approach might ask questions focused on this
dynamic. The interaction between religious leaders and practitioners, the role of religion in the ordinary
components of everyday life, and the ways people express religious values in social interactions—all
might be topics of study to an interactionist.

According to Jennifer Mahammed,The Caribbean is so diverse that a reference to a Caribbean Culture or

region can only exist in our imagination. Mitchel in (2006) stated that Caribbean religions are amalgams
of various religious traditions that originated in several continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and the
Americas. In the Caribbean, all religious systems have been subject to the creolization process to various
degrees which are also known as religious syncretization.

Christianity

Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one God, and he created the heavens and the
earth. This divine Godhead consists of three parts: the father (God himself), the son (Jesus Christ) and
the Holy Spirit.

The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and Christian beliefs on the resurrection of
Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the world. They believe Jesus was
crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness of sins and was resurrected three days after his death before
ascending to heaven.

Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in what’s known as the Second Coming.

The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus’s teachings, the lives and teachings of
major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should live.

Hinduism

Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or
a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single, organized religion.

Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as
“Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple paths to
reaching their god.

Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and
karma (the universal law of cause and effect).

One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in the soul. This philosophy holds that
living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or
salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul.

African derived religions

Vodou

Vodou, is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. Its fundamental
principle is that everything is spirit. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. The unseen world
is populated by lwa (spirits), mystè (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of
ancestors and the recently deceased. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a
cosmic “Africa.” The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and
the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world.

The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (“serve the spirits”)—to offer prayers and perform
various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour.

New religious movements in the Caribbean

Rastafari is a religious and political movement which begun in Jamaica in the 1930s is adopted by many
groups around the globe. It combines Protestant Christianity, mysticism, and a pan-African political
consciousness. Rastas, as members of the movement, are called, see their past, present, and future in a
distinct way. Drawing from Old Testament stories, especially that of Exodus, they “overstand” (rather
than understand) people of African descent in the Americas and around the world to be “exiles in
Babylon.” They believe that they are being tested by Jah (God) through slavery and the existence of
economic injustice and racial “downpression” (rather than oppression).