Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint [Paperback]

R. Andrew Chesnut (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

R. Andrew Chesnut offers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte, a skeleton saint whose cult has attracted millions of devotees over the past decade. Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions of Latin Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity. In particular, Chesnut shows Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of crystal meth and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers. Yet Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Vividly written and cleverly organized, this wonderful book provides the most comprehensive and balanced account of Mexican and American devotion to this controversial folk saint."
---Thomas A. Tweed, author of America's Church: The National Shrine and Catholic Presence in the Nation's Capital

"Chesnut provides a much-needed analysis of the meteoric rise in devotion to La Santa Muerte, the saint of death whose appeal has attracted the attention of immigrants, jilted lovers, journalists, drug dealers, clergy, the infirmed, and a host of needy petitioners. This first book-length study of the devotion will be a foundational reference point for future researchers as the Santa Muerte phenomenon continues to evolve."
---Timothy Matovina, author of Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America's Largest Church

"...intellegent, responsible, and sympathetic (although not uncritical) account of a significant and rising movement."--Books & Culture

"Chesnut's book is readable and accessible. Like one of the Santa Muerte-inspired films the author describes--indeed, like the kidnapper and murderer who first brought Saint Death into the public eye--Devoted to Death "is engrossing in a pulp fiction kind of way." --Wilson Quarterly

"This cahtty, anecdotal work provides a basic introduction to the rapidly expanding cult of the Mexican folk saint Santa Muerte...Recommended>"--CHOICE

"Devoted to Death is fascinating, and a continuous revelation. The Skinny Lady may look sinister, and she's certainly not to be trifled with, but something about her is terribly human. As demigods go, she is the salt of the earth. Devotees feel a special intimacy with her because she is, as one of them told Chesnut, "an old battle-axe, like us." She also has appetites. Lighting a candle will get her attention, but she gets thirsty, and while water is acceptable, she prefers something stronger. She enjoys tobacco, but won't turn down marijuana." --Inside Higher Ed

"Andrew Chesnut's comprehensive survey of Mexican folk saint Santa Muerte is a detailed and highly entertaining read. Organized by the colors symbolizing her various powers, the book neatly encapsulates the themes significant to devotees. As a researcher with a keen interest in vernacular religion and folk saints in particular, I found this book strongly appealing and an informative, engaging text...an excellent companion to Graziano's Cultures of Devotion and a very relevant read for scholars and students interested in Mexican druglore, faith healing, and vernacular religion."--Journal of Folklore Research

About the Author

R. Andrew Chesnut is Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of Competitive Spirits: Latin America's New Religious Economy (OUP, 2003) and Born Again in Brazil: The Pentecostal Boom and the Pathogens of Poverty (1997).

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199764654
• ISBN-13: 978-0199764655
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Good April 6, 2012

By Rocio Rodriguez

Format:Paperback

This book is to die for! In a very engaging style Chesnut reveals the reasons for Santa Muerte's mushrooming popularity.I had heard of Santa Muerte in Mexico but always thought she was an evil saint only for narcos and other criminals. After reading the book I now have a good understanding of why her appeal is so broad.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book! April 3, 2012

By B.L. Phipps

Format:Paperback

This is a lively book written by an author who is a renowned expert in Latin American religion with two previous excellent titles to his credit. He goes inside and takes the reader inside the world of those who resort to this popular but clearly marginal cult and its devotions. As in his previous works, the author approaches the world of the marginalized with careful empathy and scholarly objectivity. All who care about the increasingly precarious position of organized Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant, would benefit from the increased understanding this book offers as to why those who are spiritually hungry, even desperate, increasingly venture outside the bounds of socially acceptable, traditional beliefs and rituals.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative Text! April 3, 2012

By Sean TIZ

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

As an anthro type, I found this text to be very useful in my analysis of Latin American folk saints and shrine culture. If you are looking for a useful text on popular religious practices in modern day America and Mexico, check this one out - you won't be disappointed.