Reframing Vodun: Imagery, Practice, and Performance
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 13 March 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: globalization theory and the formation of diasporic religion; ritual and spirit possession; theories of witchcraft, magic, and sorcery; theories of belief and experience in African religion; authenticities and issues of religious appropriation in a globalizing world; race, ethnicity, and religious identity; theories of the city and religious life
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue dedicated to the evolving visual and media landscapes of West African Vodún and Haitian Vodou. For hundreds of years, West African and African diasporic religions have been globalizing through the routes of the Black Atlantic and beyond. Since the eighteenth century, anthropologists, artists, and art historians from diverse global contexts have explored the politics, practices, and material objects found in Vodún and Vodou.
Their interpretations—circulated widely through academic publications, photography, museum exhibitions, literature, and film—have contributed significantly to the sensualisation and pathologization of religions like Vodún and Vodou. This Special Issue of Religions aims to critically examine the roles of media and visual representation in shaping public and academic perceptions of Vodún and Vodou. In alignment with the journal’s focus on religion, culture, and media, this Special Issue will explore new scholarly and artistic interventions that challenge dominant narratives and call for more situated, ethical, and dialogical engagements. By highlighting the work of researchers, artists, and practitioners, this Special Issue seeks to foreground the politics of visibility and the interpretive frameworks through which Vodún is mediated in contemporary contexts.
In this Special Issue, original research articles are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Visual representations of Vodún and Vodou in contemporary and historical media;
- Museum curation and the display of Vodún;
- Ethnographic engagements with practitioners;
- Artistic interventions and counter-representations of Vodún;
- Critical analysis of film, literature, and photography involving Vodún iconography;
- Theoretical approaches to mediation, visibility, and power in African and diasporic religions.
We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate new research that critically interrogates the visual and discursive regimes through which Vodún and Vodou are represented. By fostering dialogue between scholars, artists, and practitioners, this collection aims to reshape existing paradigms, encourage ethically reflexive methodologies, and contribute to more nuanced, respectful, and collaborative approaches to the study of African and diasporic religious traditions and spiritual practices.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions (zena.zeng@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review. We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Timothy R. Landry
Dr. Sela Adjei
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Vodún
- Vodou
- Benin
- Togo
- Ghana
- Haiti
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