Colonial Saints

by Jodi Bilinkoff (Editor), Allan Greer (Editor)

From the cult of Saint Anne to the devotees of the Virgin of Guadalupe, from Saint Anthony who competed with Christ for popularity in Brazil, to Jesuits who mixed freely with shamans that talked with the gods, this exciting new anthology examines the conversion of the colonized. The essays examine how New World spirits transformed into Old World saints - for example, the spirit of love transfigured into the Virgin Mary - as well as the implications of the canonization of the first American saint. Colonial Saints illustrates the complex and intimate connections among confessional life writing, canonization, and the practices of the Inquisition. There was a dynamic exchange involving local agendas, the courts in Spain and France, and, of course, Rome. This bold collection clearly shows the interplay between slavery and spirituality, conversion and control, and the links between the sacred and the political.

Genres: History

340 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2002

Reviews

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read. Like any collection, some of the contributions are more successful than others, and what counts as a success depends in large part on what the reader is looking for. I personally was aiming to improve my understanding of race in Catholicism. From that perspective, the most helpful chapters for me were the last three, respectively on St Kateri Tekakwitha by Allan Greer (who is writing before her canonization, but oddly does not acknowledge her beatification either), St Rosa de Lima by Kathleen Ann Myers, and Our Lady of Guadalupe by William B. Taylor.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all essay collections, this one is a mixed bag. The essay on Kateri Tekakwitha in colonial discourses in Mexico on indigenous nuns was a particular standout.