Laënnec Hurbon

Laënnec Hurbon (sometimes anglicised as Laennec Hurbon; born 1940) is a Haitian sociologist and writer specialising in the relationships between religion, culture and politics in the Caribbean region.^[2] He is also a Catholic theologian and ex-priest turned researcher and writer.^[3][4]

Laënnec Hurbon
Born	1940 (age 84–85) Jacmel, Haiti
Nationality	Haitian
Alma mater	Institut Catholique de Paris, Sorbonne University
Occupation	Sociologist of religion[1]
Notable work	Voodoo: Truth and Fantasy

Career

Hurbon was born in Jacmel, a commune in southern Haiti. He is Doctor of Theology (Institut Catholique de Paris) and Sociology (Sorbonne University),^[5] director of research at CNRS and professor at the Quisqueya University in Port-au-Prince, of which he is one of the founding members.^[6] Today he focuses on the relationships between religion, culture and politics in the Caribbean region and has written many books on Haitian Vodou.^[6]

His notable publications are the Dieu dans le Vaudou haïtien (1972) and Le Barbare imaginaire (1987), which have been described as "two classics" of the author; and the "small 'big book'" – Les mystères du vaudou (1993; US ed. – Voodoo: Search for the Spirit),^[7] which is a heavily illustrated pocket book from Éditions Gallimard's "Découvertes" collection. He also edited a collective work entitled Catastrophes et environnement : Haïti, séisme du 12 janvier 2010 (2014).^[8]

Publications

Publications by Hurbon

• Dieu dans le Vaudou haïtien. Éditions Payot, 1972
• Culture et dictature en Haïti : l'imaginaire sous contrôle. L'Harmattan, 1979
• Le Barbare imaginaire. Éditions Henri Deschamps, 1987
• Comprendre Haïti : Essai sur l'État, la nation, la culture. Karthala, 1987
• Le phénomène religieux dans la Caraïbe. Karthala, 1989
• Les mystères du vaudou. Collection "Découvertes Gallimard" (nº 190). série Religions. Éditions Gallimard, 1993
  • Voodoo: Truth and Fantasy, 'New Horizons' series. Thames & Hudson, 1995. UK edition
  • Voodoo: Search for the Spirit, "Abrams Discoveries" series. Harry N. Abrams, 1995. U.S. edition

Publication edited by Hurbon

• Catastrophes et environnement : Haïti, séisme du 12 janvier 2010. Éditions de l'EHESS, 2014. Various authors.

Interviews with Hurbon

• A crise do Haiti é reflexo da corrupção com endosso internacional. Entrevista especial com Laënnec Hurbon 2019.