Religion in the Bahamas
Encyclopedia
More than 90 percent of the population of the Bahamas professes a religion, and anecdotal evidence suggests that most attend services regularly. Religion in the Bahamas reflects the country's diversity. Protestant Christian
denominations including Baptists (35 percent), Anglicans (15 percent), Pentecostals (8 percent), (5 percent), Seventh-day Adventists (5 percent), and Methodists (4 percent) are in the majority, but there are also significant Roman Catholic (14 percent) and Greek Orthodox populations. Smaller Jewish
, Baha'i, Jehovah's Witness and Muslim
communities also are active. A small number of Bahamians and Haitians
, particularly those living in the Family Islands, practice Obeah
, a form of African shamanism
. A small but stable number of citizens identify themselves as Rastafarians, while some members of the small resident Guyanese
and Indian
populations practice Hinduism
and other South Asian religions. Although many unaffiliated Protestant congregations are almost exclusively black, most mainstream churches are integrated racially.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
denominations including Baptists (35 percent), Anglicans (15 percent), Pentecostals (8 percent), (5 percent), Seventh-day Adventists (5 percent), and Methodists (4 percent) are in the majority, but there are also significant Roman Catholic (14 percent) and Greek Orthodox populations. Smaller Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Baha'i, Jehovah's Witness and Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
communities also are active. A small number of Bahamians and Haitians
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, particularly those living in the Family Islands, practice Obeah
Obeah
Obeah is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from West African, and specifically Igbo origin. Obeah is similar to other African derived religions including Palo, Voodoo, Santería, rootwork, and most of all hoodoo...
, a form of African shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. A small but stable number of citizens identify themselves as Rastafarians, while some members of the small resident Guyanese
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
populations practice Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and other South Asian religions. Although many unaffiliated Protestant congregations are almost exclusively black, most mainstream churches are integrated racially.