Mexican American Religions

GastÓn Espinosa is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College. His books include Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States and Rethinking Latino Religions and Identity.Mario T. GarcÍa is Professor of History and Chicano Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His books include Padre: The Life and Spiritual Journey of Father Virgil Cordano; Luis Leal: An Auto/Biography; and The Gospel of CÉsar ChÁvez.

• Preface ixIntroduction 1I. History and Interpretations of Mexican American Religions1. History and Theory in the Study of Mexican American Religions / Gaston Espinosa 172. Pious Colonialism: Assessing a Church Paradigm for Chicano Identity / Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo 57II. Mexican American Mystics and Prophets3. Sacred Order, Sacred Space: Reies Lopez Tijerina and the Valle de Paz Community / Rudy V. Busto 854. Holy Activist, Secular Saint: Religion and the Social Activism of Cesar Chavez / Stephen R. Lloyrd-Moffett 1065. Religion and the Chicano Movement: Catolicos Por La Raza / Mario T. Garcia 125III. Mexican American Popular Catholicism6. Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Politics of Cultural Interpretation / Socorro Castaneda-Liles 1537. Voces de Fe: Mexican American Altaristas in Texas / Kay Turner 1808. Los Pastores and the Gendered Politics of Location / Richard R. Flores 2069. The Religious Vision of Gloria Anzaldua: Borderlands/La Frontera as a Shamanic Space / David Carrasco and Roberto Lint Sagarena 22310. Voice and Vision in Chicana Religious Practice: The Literary Re-elaborations of Mary Helen Ponce, Denise Chavez, and Sandra Cisneros / Ellen McCracken 242V. Mexican American Religions and Healing11. Brown Moses: Francisco Olazabal and Mexican American Pentecostal Healing in the Borderlands / Gaston Espinosa 26312. Borderlands Bodies and Souls: Mexican Religious Healing Practices in East L.A. / Luis D. Leon 296VI. Mexican American Religions and Pop Culture13. Luis Valdez's La Pastorela: "The Shepherds' Play": Tradition, Hybridity, and Transformation / Maria Herrera-Sobek 32514. Hybrid Spiritualities and Chicana Altar-Based Art: The Work of Amalia Mesa-Bains / Laura E. Perez 33815. Mexican Madonna: Selena and the Politics of Cultural Redemption / Gaston Espinosa 359Conclusion: Reflections on Mexican American Religions and Culture 381Bibliography 387Contributors 429Index 433

“Coeditors GastÓn Espinosa and Mario T. GarcÍa have produced a landmark collection of essays that document and interpret the evolution of Mexican American religion in the United States over the past six decades. . . . All in all, this volume is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the reality and meaning of Hispanic cultures for the ever-vigorous world of religion in the United States.” - Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., Catholic Historical Review “GastÓn Espinosa and Mario GarcÍa have provided a much-needed compilation of essays from a fortunately growing bibliography. For too long academics have neglected the seminal topic of religion among Mexican Americans; as a consequence, generalists have had little access to effective materials to enliven as well as enlighten their classes. This new volume moves us in a more productive direction by furnishing a usable, broadly-founded, and accessible scholarly collection. . . . Not ordinary among such edited collections, an excellent bibliography and useful index conclude this work, one which should find a space in the library of all who are interested in this foundational topic.” - John L. Robinson, Journal of Church and State “These articles are a good starting place for those exploring ways to think about religious expression by artists, writers, and social activists. The articles are well documented and theoretically stimulating.” - Joseph A. Rodriguez, Journal of American Ethnic History “This is an important, timely anthology, given that people of Mexican ethnicity constitute the largest cohort of the largest minority group in the United States, Latinos, and that the role of religion in society has become such a major part of the public discourse. Moreover, the collection yields a number of interesting findings from contributors, including both some of the leading lights in the field and rising younger scholars.” - Julie Leininger Pycior, History: Reviews of New Books “The conversation about Latinos and religion will never be the same thanks to this splendid, visionary book. It captures who we are as a people-diverse, yet on a shared spiritual quest that will have huge ramifications for Latinos and beyond.”-Demetria MartÍnez, author of Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana and the novel Mother Tongue “This excellent book pushes the field of religious studies forward by challenging it to consider Chicano religious studies as a rich and fruitful field of scholarly and intellectual examination. A must-read for anyone interested in U.S. Latino, Latin American, and American religions.”-David Maldonado Jr., Director of the Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University “This groundbreaking interdisciplinary exploration of Mexican American spirituality, activism, and culture will be a benchmark for all future studies on Chicano religions in the twenty-first century. I highly recommend it!”-Virgilio Elizondo, University of Notre Dame “This thought-provoking and informative book provides a unique glimpse into the living reality of Mexican American religiosity. I expect it to be required reading for anyone interested in understanding religion in the United States.”-Justo L. GonzÁlez, Founding Director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative “Coeditors GastÓn Espinosa and Mario T. GarcÍa have produced a landmark collection of essays that document and interpret the evolution of Mexican American religion in the United States over the past six decades. . . . All in all, this volume is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the reality and meaning of Hispanic cultures for the ever-vigorous world of religion in the United States.” - Allan Figueroa Deck S.J. (Catholic Historical Review) “GastÓn Espinosa and Mario GarcÍa have provided a much-needed compilation of essays from a fortunately growing bibliography. For too long academics have neglected the seminal topic of religion among Mexican Americans; as a consequence, generalists have had little access to effective materials to enliven as well as enlighten their classes. This new volume moves us in a more productive direction by furnishing a usable, broadly-founded, and accessible scholarly collection. . . . Not ordinary among such edited collections, an excellent bibliography and useful index conclude this work, one which should find a space in the library of all who are interested in this foundational topic.” - John L. Robinson (Journal of Church and State) “These articles are a good starting place for those exploring ways to think about religious expression by artists, writers, and social activists. The articles are well documented and theoretically stimulating.” - Joseph A. Rodriguez (Journal of American Ethnic History) “This is an important, timely anthology, given that people of Mexican ethnicity constitute the largest cohort of the largest minority group in the United States, Latinos, and that the role of religion in society has become such a major part of the public discourse. Moreover, the collection yields a number of interesting findings from contributors, including both some of the leading lights in the field and rising younger scholars.” - Julie Leininger Pycior (History: Reviews of New Books)