Espiritualismo at The U.S.-Mexican Border Region: A Case Study Of Possession, Globalization, And The Maintenance Of Tradition Hardcover 1

Rodolfo A. Otero

Espiritualismo at the U.S.-Mexican Border Region: A Case Study of Possession, Globalization, and the Maintenance of Tradition is a sensitive, empathetic, and beautifully detailed account of the Mexican religious movement Espiritualismo Trinitario Mariano as practiced in the U.S.-Mexican border region, culminating 16 months of fieldwork. This study offers a salient portrait of a changing religion and society in Mexico and is critically relevant to the understanding of religious change in the developing world. Espiritualista symbolism at the U.S.-Mexican border, mainly manifested through spirit possession performances, is an effective system of knowledge and empowerment accessible to individuals from all levels in society. This symbolism reflects an awareness of attempts at discrediting tradition through the imposition of a rational, modernist hegemonic perspective.

9781433152283

English

Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publi

222

Rodolfo A. Otero holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and is a professor at El Camino College in Torrance, California. He has studied religious change and symbolism at the U.S.-Mexican border and is the author of the article "The Transformation of Identity Through Possession Rituals in Popular Religion."

1