Sources

Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/flash-of-the-spirit-african-and-afro-american-art-and-philosophy.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/flash-of-the-spirit-african-and-afro-american-art-and-philosophy

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-flash-of-the-spirit-african-and-afro-ame,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/flash-of-the-spirit-african-and-afro-american-art-and-philosophy},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Robert Farris Thompson's study traces documented continuities in art and philosophy between specific West and Central African traditions, Yoruba and Kongo named directly, and their Afro-Caribbean and Afro-diasporic descendants, working comparatively across specific named art objects and practices rather than treating African diasporic religion as one undifferentiated whole. That named, comparative tracing of specific continuities is the book's real evidentiary contribution and also its stated limit: this record notes that a claim needing precise doctrinal detail of one specific tradition, such as Palo Mayombe or Quimbanda alone, may need a source focused on that tradition rather than this comparative study. Use it for symbolism, deities and material culture as this comparative study documents them across the traditions it names directly.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

Robert Farris Thompson's study tracing documented continuities in art and philosophy between specific West and Central African traditions, Yoruba and Kongo named directly, and their Afro-Caribbean and Afro-diasporic descendants, working comparatively across named art objects and practices.

Notes

Robert Farris Thompson's influential study of African and Afro-American art and philosophy, tracing continuities between West and Central African religious traditions (Yoruba, Kongo) and their Afro-Caribbean and Afro-diasporic descendants such as Palo, Vodou-related and Hoodoo practice. Use for established facts about these traditions' symbolism, deities and material culture as this comparative study presents them; an art-historical and philosophical study, so a claim requiring precise doctrinal detail of one specific tradition, such as Palo Mayombe or Quimbanda alone, may need a source focused on that tradition specifically.

Citation

Author

Robert Farris Thompson

Publisher

Random House

Publication Year

1983

URL

https://archive.org/details/flashofspiritafr00thom_0

Source Type

book

Claims Backed By This Source (214 claims)

This source backs 214 claims across the atlas. As facts: 142 well-attested. As cited relationships: 27 holds. Plus 45 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Deities, 83 claims: 57 well-attested, 7 holds, 19 general references.
Rituals, 35 claims: 23 well-attested, 8 holds, 4 general references.
Articles, 28 claims: 26 well-attested, 2 general references.
Sacred Objects & Ritual Items, 27 claims: 17 well-attested, 5 holds, 5 general references.
Figures, 10 claims: 7 well-attested, 3 general references.
Doctrines, 8 claims: 5 holds, 3 general references.
Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
Practices, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Subcategories, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.
Religions, 3 claims: 3 general references.
Disciplines, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Denominations, 1 claims: 1 general references.
Religious Organization & Structure, 1 claims: 1 general references.