By Casey Zachary

This is a series of posts that will cover the next several weeks examining the concept of sin and moral responsibility in the mind of a Haitian. Let me preface this by saying there are many Haitian Chrisitans who truly have felt the full force of the Gospel and are strong, faithful believers, and their example is a constant companion of mine, challenging me along the way. This survey of soteriology/ hamartiology is by no means exhaustive. My intention is not to project that I have the ultimate insight on such things. Many have lived in Haiti longer than I. In many ways, I am a weak and short sighted man. However, growing up as an MK in Haiti several things perplexed me, one of which was the perpetual disconnect in evangelistic efforts in regards to how the missionary and the host culture understood the Gospel. To this end, I invested a good deal of time studying. The following is a result of the research I did. Again, I do not intend to come across as presumptuous. There are as likely as many views on sin in Haiti as there are Haitian people. I simply believe it is good to think on these things. The content of the posts will be

1) an Introduction
2) A Brief History in the Development of Religion in Haiti
3) Poor Assumptions by Missionaries
4) Understanding the General Worldview of a Haitian
5) Haitian’s Understanding of Sin and Moral Responsibility
6) Towards a Biblical View of Sin and Moral Responsibility
7) Essential Shifts in the Haitian Worldview

A Brief History of the Development of Religion in Haiti

Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola. Initially a Spanish colony (1492), it later became property of France as a result of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. The Spanish and French both used imported slaves from Africa to maximize productivity in this bountiful colony. As slaves arrived in Haiti, they were exposed to Catholic doctrine and belief by missionaries. While they would adopt aspects of Catholic practice, they did not do so at the expense of their African traditions, known as voodoo.[3] Voodoo comes from the Fon language of Benin, West Africa, and means “spirit.”[4] As the slaves endured hardships, their African religious beliefs and practices remained a means by which to cope, communicate, and even organize their fight for independence. The large population of slaves revolted against their colonial oppressors in 1791, finally gaining their independence as the first black republic in 1804.

Like the spoken language Creole, which is a mixture of the languages of the African slaves and the French Colonialists, religion in Haiti is also a mixture of sorts. Because of some of the ritualistic aspects of Catholicism, voodoo has absorbed it well. In fact, voodoo temples are typically adorned with crucifixes, statues of Mary, the paintings of saints, and altars similar to those found in a Catholic Church setting. In similar fashion, Catholicism has been profoundly impacted by voodoo in Haiti as well. After gaining independence, the newly founded republic was isolated politically and religiously from the rest of the world. Early leaders feared that voodoo would further alienate them from the developed world and thus named Catholicism its primary religion. The Catholic churches that remained were immediately indigenized, as all foreign priests fled and Rome cut off all relations. This resulted in voodoo being pervasive in Haitian Catholicism and is why the two often appear to co-exist so easily in a system of religious pluralism even today.[5]

Haiti reestablished relations with the Vatican in 1860 and power over the church in Haiti transferred once again to Europe. An influential Haitian voice, Louis Joseph Janvier, insisted Catholicism was an oppressive colonial power and a threat to Haiti’s autonomy, thus he advocated for the establishment of Protestantism. He believed it could be controlled internally rather than by Europe.[6] He did not see voodoo as a solution to Haiti’s problems, and rather saw Protestantism as a means to modernize Haiti, as it encouraged pragmatism and self reliance.[7] However, Protestants did not make inroads into rural Haiti until after the US military occupation of Haiti from 1915-1934. Fears of cultural imperialism and racism fostered a reaction against foreign influence and the promotion of an authentic Haitian identity rooted in peasant folklore and voodoo.[8] It would not seem that Protestantism could flourish with the voodoo taking center stage, but it was in fact championed by Francois Duvalier, the first pro-voodoo, pro-peasant, black nationalist president. He supported the influx of Protestants because Protestants did not pose any immediate threat to him. First, the rise of Protestantism, like Janvier predicted, helped to break the power of the foreign dominated Catholic Church. Also, Protestants were seen not only as apolitical and unwilling to interfere in political affairs, but they were eager to bring development and aid into the country as well.[9] In the end, it was not only the spiritual message the Protestants proclaimed that caused them to gain traction in rural Haiti, but rather the physical resources they brought to some of the most disenfranchised in the form of food, clean water, medical care and education.[10]

Because of these factors, Protestantism gained momentum toward the last half of the 20^th century, especially in rural Haiti. On the one hand, being a pastor/ clergy is one of the few jobs for men in rural areas other than agriculture. Association with a Protestant mission signifies upward mobility, both figuratively and literally.[11] Another reason for success in rural Haiti has been the support of using the common language of Creole in literacy (Scriptures) and sermons rather than French. In addition, Pentecostals were effective because they systematically covered the entire country and covered the poorest segments of the population.[12] Furthermore, there has been a significant exodus from the Catholic Church because of a perceived lack of spiritual power. This dynamic power was evidenced in some Protestant churches, namely Charismatic/ Pentecostal churches, and has resulted in a substantial growth in rural Haiti.

There have been several interesting developments in regards to religion in the last 25 years. First, many attribute the fall of the nearly 30 year rule by the Duvalier regime to a subversive grassroots group of Catholics called “Ti Legliz.” This resurgence by Catholics was heavily influenced by Liberation Theology coming out of Central America and was political rather than religious.[13] This movement drew widespread support from both the rural and urban poor and prepared the political landscape for the emergence of former Catholic priest, Jean Bertrand Aristide, and his political party, Lavalas (“The Flood”), who dominated the political landscape for nearly two decades. The Protestants have largely remained politically neutral and have continued to grow in rural areas due to their humanitarian work in providing for the needs of the poor. While many houngans (voodoo priests) were denounced for being used by the Duvalier family to control the rural communities and suppress opposition with use of the tonton macoutes, voodoo on the whole did not wane and maintained its influence governing the lives of rural Haitians.

Throughout the history of Haiti, there has been an economic and social aspect to these religions as well. On a macro level, Catholicism thrived in urban areas because the majority of the education available was through Catholic schools and typically served the elite and wealthier populations, as well as their agendas. On the contrary, Protestants failed to gain much ground in urban areas, and thus focused their energies and attentions on poorer, rural areas with remarkable success. Despite this success, it is troubling that Voodoo has remained the dominant world view and lens through which far too many Haitians view all aspects of life.

[3] On a popular level, voodoo is associated with devil worship, sorcery, and magic. While these are practiced to a limited degree by some voodooists in Haiti, they are not commonplace, and this paper will not address that aspect of Haitian Voodoo.

[4] Civan, Michele Burtoff, The Haitians: Their History and Culture, 22.

[5] Richman, Karen, “The Protestant Ethic and the Dis-Spirit of Voodoo” Immigrant Faiths: Tansforming Religious Life in America. Edited by Karen I Leonard, Alex Stepick, Manuel Vasquay and Jennifer Holdway, 166.

[6] Ibid, 170.

[7] Civan, Michele Burtoff, The Haitians: Their History and Culture, 53.

[8] Rickman, Karen, “The Protestant Ethic and the Dis-Spirit of Voodoo,” 171-172.

[9] Ibid, 171

[10] Protestant growth in urban centers was less pronounced because of the heavy influence on the Catholic church there.

[11] Rickman, Karen, “The Protestant Ethic and the Dis-Spirit of Voodoo,” 172.

[12] Ibid, 171.

[13] Civan, Michele Burtoff, The Haitians: Their History and Culture, 55.