Convince, also known as Bongo or Flenke, is a religion from eastern
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
. It has roots in
Kumina
Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion. Kumina has practices that include secular ceremonies, dance and music that developed from the beliefs and traditions brought to the island by Kongo enslaved people and indentured labourers, from the Congo r ...
and
Jamaican Maroon religion.
History
According to research by J. W. Pullis the religion originated in the
Portland Parish
Portland, with its capital town Port Antonio, is a parish located on Jamaica's northeast coast. It is situated to the north of St Thomas and to the east of St Mary in Surrey County. It is one of the rural areas of Jamaica, containing part ...
in Jamaica in the mid or late 1800s.
It is believed to have a Central African origin in its beliefs and practices.
Very little is known about the exact origins of the religion because of little research done on it. It can be deduced that the name of the religion comes from Christian teachings about "conviction" and the term "convince" began being used as a term for
Myal spirit possession in the Native Baptist Church. Around 1861 many church members split into different camps with the more African oriented splitting off to form the Convince practice.
Beliefs and practices
Convince belief rests on the idea that humans and spirits are part of one universe where they interact and influence each other's behavior. Many spirits are deceased members of the cult. No spirit is totally good or totally evil. The spirit's will becomes friendly if it is worshiped, unfriendly if it is neglected, and evil if it is summoned to do evil.
Religious practices are decentralized and have no authoritative hierarchy. The only structure of the religion is the collection of "bongo men" that form ceremonies when all agree to converge. Bongo men act as mediums who commune with ancestral spirits.
It is a non-textual religion that highlights ritual possession, ritual dancing and healing services.
Its ceremonies usually involve the guidance of bongo-men to become possessed by the spirits of the dead.
Unlike
Kumina
Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion. Kumina has practices that include secular ceremonies, dance and music that developed from the beliefs and traditions brought to the island by Kongo enslaved people and indentured labourers, from the Congo r ...
its practices are more centered on individual benefit rather than community benefit and some Christian hymns are incorporated.
See also
*
Kumina
Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion. Kumina has practices that include secular ceremonies, dance and music that developed from the beliefs and traditions brought to the island by Kongo enslaved people and indentured labourers, from the Congo r ...
References
{{Afro-American Religions
Afro-American religion
Afro-Jamaican culture
Religion in Jamaica