Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment among Mexican-American Women [Paperback]

Jeanette Rodriguez (Author), Fr. Virgilio Elizondo (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most important religious symbol of Mexico and one of the most powerful female icons of Mexican culture. In this study, based on research done among second-generation Mexican-American women, Rodriguez examines the role the symbol of Guadalupe has played in the development of these women. She goes beyond the thematic and religious implications of the symbol to delve into its relevance to their daily lives.

Rodriguez's study offers an important reinterpretation of one of the New World's most potent symbols. Her conclusions dispute the common perception that Guadalupe is a model of servility and suffering. Rather, she reinterprets the symbol of Guadalupe as a liberating and empowering catalyst for Mexican-American women.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Rodriguez examines the holy image in a scholarly and informative way. Her six years of research lead her to assert that Mexican-American women learn from Guadalupe about themselves as well as something about who God is. This is a study of dignity and humanity, of true power. (National Catholic Reporter )

Product Details

• Paperback: 263 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292770626
• ISBN-13: 978-0292770621
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #772,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment among Mexican-American Women (Paperback)

I found this book to be very interesting and informative. The information deals mainly with the story of Our Lady of Guadalup and its impact on Mexican-American women. The author sheds light on the story by giving Aztec background, allusions, and references. My only complaint is that the writer chose only to include Mexican-American women from California in her survey. I felt that Mexican-American women from other regions of America, such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona as well as California, might have offered a broader perspective for this book. Nevertheless, this book was very enjoyable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EMPOWERMENT, December 20, 2001

By 

Roberta Jonnet (Everett, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment among Mexican-American Women (Paperback)

I read this book as a Catholic, a trained lay minister, and a non-Hispanic. I learned about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I learned what it means to Mexican-American women. The story is about empowerment. It's word that sometimes scares the Catholic Church. Especially the hierarchy. This was Dr. Rodriguez doctoral thesis and it eminently readable because she wrote it from the heart. Her dream opens the book and opens the reader's mind to enter into the story. It is a research project with the spirit of Our Lady and Dr. Rodriguez.