Spiritual Baptists Movement
Spiritual Baptists Movement
The ‘Spiritual Baptist Movement’ still common in the West Indies in places such as: St Vincent & The Grenadines, Barbados, Guyana and primarily Trinidad. Its origin though not Caribbean based was very influential towards the religion itself. Its development and its practices were also important in its recognition. The effect of the religion was also attached to social and political backgrounds.
The Spiritual Baptists or Shouter Baptists originate from the combined religions of traditional African religion and Christianity, although the Spiritual Baptists consider themselves fully Christian. The religion was brought to Trinidad by ‘Merikins’ former African slaves who were recruited to help the British in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
The development of the religion takes place primarily in the Caribbean, after the war the ex-slaves were left on the island of Trinidad, where the religion developed into more of a unique religion where it possessed more than one denomination in its religion. Later in the years it also started to fuse with other denominations because of the growing rise in the population. This diverse, unique religion was quickly recognized throughout the island. There was also no way for the religion to go unnoticed because of their orthodox practices, the name Shouter derives from the fact that when the Baptists "catch the Spirit," they clap and shout, making a loud noise that, especially during open air services, some in the general public may object to, so this made the religion easily recognized.
The religion also had an effect on social and political backgrounds. The worshippers of Spiritual Baptist movement were socially outcast because of their orthodox practices, the persons of other denominations were not fond of the way the Spiritual Baptists worshipped because of the shouting, clapping and ringing the bell. The religion also affected a racial background since the worshippers were
The ‘Spiritual Baptist Movement’ still common in the West Indies in places such as: St Vincent & The Grenadines, Barbados, Guyana and primarily Trinidad. Its origin though not Caribbean based was very influential towards the religion itself. Its development and its practices were also important in its recognition. The effect of the religion was also attached to social and political backgrounds.
The Spiritual Baptists or Shouter Baptists originate from the combined religions of traditional African religion and Christianity, although the Spiritual Baptists consider themselves fully Christian. The religion was brought to Trinidad by ‘Merikins’ former African slaves who were recruited to help the British in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
The development of the religion takes place primarily in the Caribbean, after the war the ex-slaves were left on the island of Trinidad, where the religion developed into more of a unique religion where it possessed more than one denomination in its religion. Later in the years it also started to fuse with other denominations because of the growing rise in the population. This diverse, unique religion was quickly recognized throughout the island. There was also no way for the religion to go unnoticed because of their orthodox practices, the name Shouter derives from the fact that when the Baptists "catch the Spirit," they clap and shout, making a loud noise that, especially during open air services, some in the general public may object to, so this made the religion easily recognized.
The religion also had an effect on social and political backgrounds. The worshippers of Spiritual Baptist movement were socially outcast because of their orthodox practices, the persons of other denominations were not fond of the way the Spiritual Baptists worshipped because of the shouting, clapping and ringing the bell. The religion also affected a racial background since the worshippers were