Customer Reviews

The Indian Face of God in Latin America (Faith and Cultures Series)

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A common problem for college instructors is finding case studies that are just the right length to assign to students. An entire book about a single case (usually 200+ pages) may be too long. Meanwhile an article in an anthology or scholarly journal (typically 25 pages maximum) may not convey enough information. This fine anthology by four scholars from Latin America does an admirable job of describing, in depth, the present-day native religions of four major indigenous groups: (1) the Tseltal (or Tzeltal) Maya of southern Mexico; (2) the Andean Quechua of southern Peru; (3) the Aymara, principally located in Bolivia; and (4) the Guarani, mostly concentrated in Paraguay. The section on each group is about 40 pages. The material is well organized, timely, and detailed, with very useful discussions on each group's history. Although all four authors are Jesuits priests, they adopt an objective, non-partisan approach to the material. Note that, apparently, the translator was British; the chapters were originally written in Spanish and the English translation uses British spellings throughout. A minor annoyance, but watch for "S's" that would otherwise be "Z's", etc. (Example, U.S. scholars use the spelling "Tzeltal", not "Tseltal", for the well-known Maya group).