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The presence of the conservatives in Mexico, and their main characters, is long-standing. In Mexican history, some of the conservative movements have been present in religious thinking, especially in Catholicism, e.g., the quick departure from socio-cultural and political Mexican spaces as a consequence of the evangelical Spanish process, whose roots come from the XVI century Of the population in contemporary Mexico (7.7% belong to Catholicism, 2.5% to Evangelical Christians and Protestants, and 2.5% to non-Christian groups, while 8.1% do not follow a religion. Catholicism has a significant presence and influence on different forms of belief and practice in daily life in Mexico. This paper aims to highlight the role of the conservative movement called Frente Nacional por la Familia. It presents its history as the heritage of other conservative movements in Mexico, the stages of its formation, and the agenda and intervention in public life. The methodological approach is qualitative, using multi-situated ethnography. The results allow us to visualize the construction of the public agenda with legislative strategies that have operated with relative success and national presence, obstructing the progress of the proposals of feminist groups and sexual diversity and the defense of a national and cultural project that has as one of the symbols the traditional family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Born in New Spain, fray Juan Bautista Viseo (b. 1555) authored perhaps a dozen books in Nahuatl, Castilian, and Latin, making him one of the most prolific writers of the colonial period in Mexico. While many are lost, his available texts provide a valuable window into religious conversion efforts in the Spanish monarchy around 1600. This paper investigates his recommendations regarding how priests and members of religious orders ought to use indigenous languages. In the sixteenth-century Spanish territories, Church and Crown officials discussed language strategies on several fronts. This paper also compares Juan Bautista's ideas about language use in Mexico to similar discussions elsewhere in the Spanish kingdoms. Existing scholarship has highlighted parallels in how the Spanish monarchy dealt with Native American and Islamic communities. However, an examination of Juan Bautista's writing, together with that of contemporary churchmen, suggests fundamental differences in the ways that Spanish officials thought about and approached Amerindians and Moriscos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the public relations battles in the US media over Mexico's Unión Nacional Sinarquista (UNS), an explicitly Catholic social movement founded in 1937 that aimed to restore the Church to its traditional role in Mexican society and to reject the reforms of the revolutionary government. The sinarquistas shared many of the features of fascism and Nazism, the major global antidemocratic movements of the time, including a strident nationalism, authoritarian leanings, an emphasis on martial discipline and strict organizational structure, and a militant aesthetic. Both its ideological leanings and rapid growth (as many as 500,000 members by the early 1940s) led many US writers to suggest that the UNS represented a dangerous fifth-column threat to both Mexico and the United States. Others, particularly in the Catholic press, saw the UNS as an anticommunist organization that could actually help foster democracy in Mexico. For their part, UNS leaders defended themselves vociferously and sought to build relationships with influential US Catholics who could advocate for them in the press. By analyzing this debate, this paper both underscores the transnational characteristics of the UNS and highlights the crucial role of US public opinion in Mexican politics during the 1940s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on contemporary religious practices and expressions of social groups influenced by the Catholic church in Western Mexico. The patronal festival in San Francisco Tesistán is exposed, under an ethnographic study, to describe its structure, organization and function. The category of popular religiosity is presented as an analytical model to address the explanations manifested in the social structure by the patron-client bond, providing meaning to the political, economic, and symbolic order. Reinforcing the category of popular religiosity, the analysis of the popular production points to subcultural groups within larger societies. Within this model, it seeks to contribute to the understanding of the “popular” in religious practices of a fragment of the population determined by the division of labor, in a space of invention, interpretation and representation. The symbolic power preserves memories, determines a common origin and crystallizes the holistic worldview in the social order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extension of the Religious Conflict to the north of Mexico had different times and ways compared to the center-west of the country. The northern region has generally been considered not very Catholic, due to Protestant influence and liberal political tradition, which is why it has been taken for granted that the north did not participate in the Catholic mobilization in response to the anticlerical policies of postrevolutionary governments. This vision began to change since Jean Meyer, in the 1990s, pointed out that in Chihuahua, during the Religious Conflict, took place a notable Catholic social and political activity. Although an armed conflict did not break out in 1927, a vigorous social Catholicism had taken root in Chihuahua and all the major Catholic organizations of the time were present and active. New research confirms that, at least Chihuahua was the scene of intense Catholic activity in the 1920s and 1930s that managed to attenuate and delay the onslaught of official anticlericalism. This paper will address in particular the recovery of regional Catholicism after the armed conflict, evidencing the notable impulse and presence of Catholic social and political organizations in the regional scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time historiography has characterized the National Cooperatist Party as a group with Catholic overtones. In this paper, aided by some programmatic texts written by party members, it is intended to question this conception. For this, rather than seeking the supreme ideological affiliation of the cooperative members, the emphasis is placed on the discussions and disagreements that arose between the ideas of the members of the political organization. Hand in hand with this approach, it is possible to shed light on the split suffered by the party during the presidential conjuncture of 1924. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2016, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto issued a number of directives for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) inclusion in various arenas, including marriage. This was followed by strong opposition, in particular from the Catholic Church and the National Front for the Family, a newly emerged coalition of civil society organizations. The following paper focuses on the discourses underlying said actors' declarations, press releases, interviews, articles, and legislative efforts. It shows that, while Mexican adversaries to LGBTI equality still rely heavily on arguments related to nature, divinity, and biology, they have also come to internalize and deploy human rights discourses. This is part of an international trend whereby conservative forces, shying away from their initial skepticism, have now become adept at articulating their demands under human rights narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bordón: Journal of Education / Revista de Pedagogía is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Pedagogia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent years, the boundaries of what is understood ascultural policyhave been appraised and pushed. Ahearne proposed to studyimplicitcultural policy, which is not overt about its cultural objectives but has an impact upon culture, understood in a broader sense regarding systems of values and attitudes. Similarly, Bennett has advocated studying implicit cultural policy beyond governments, as in the case of the Catholic Church. How far can this broadening go? This paper will consider a transcultural and anonymous form of contemporary folklore, the crime urban legend, as the case study of authorless narratives that participate, among other factors, in the implicit cultural policy behind neopunitivism upon the consequences of its digital transit, which contributes to modifying different beliefs, attitudes and values on a given territory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyzes the various actions taken by the authorities of the state of Zacatecas (Mexico) during the First Federal Republic (1824-1835), in order to find solutions to problems related to the exercise of patronage and related topics. It shows that these proposals were useful to defend and drive federalism, and to advance a project to create a secular and liberal State and society. The paper concludes that the attempt to apply this was ambiguous, as it became part of the "pitfalls" that prevented the first federalism from consolidating by contributing to the division of local and national political groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last two decades have seen an accelerated production of novel devotions at the margins of the Catholic Church in Mexico. Celebration of Santo Niño Jesús Doctor, the infant Jesus dressed as a medical doctor, is one of the fastest-growing new religious expressions in contemporary Mexico. This paper takes this particularly productive moment as an opportunity to theorize novelty and innovation in Mexican religion. In spite of the increase in non-Catholic religious alternatives, including most importantly a range of novel Protestant expressions, I suggest the possibility that at the beginning of file twenty-first century Roman Catholicism is file primary field of religious innovation in Mexico, and that it frequently has been an important locus of innovation since its arrival in the New World. An analysis of devotion to this new manifestation of the infant Jesus reveals the cultural mechanisms that allow for and sustain religious innovation in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Antropología y Sociología: Virajes is the property of Universidad de Caldas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The number of HIV-positive Latinas of child-bearing age living on the US-Mexico border is a growing concern. Little is known about how religious beliefs influence the reproductive health decisions of these women in light of disease demands and cultural and religious norms that support high fertility rates and childbearing. Such decisions may be further complicated by the stigma of HIV/AIDS and structural issues related to immigration status and trans-border lives. This paper analyzes extant literature and supports the need for further research so that policy makers and heath and social service providers can develop meaningful and comprehensive reproductive-health related interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Cultura y Religión is the property of Miguel Angel Mansilla Aguero and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Catholic Church is built, on the one hand, upon a hierarchical structure and vertical relationships, with stratified duties, centered around an organizational culture which is based on strict obedience to institutional directives and which has a monopoly on the administration of the goods and resources concerning salvation. On the other hand, since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has proposed to incorporate lay people into God's Kingdom, a development which represents an opening to the active participation of diverse groups and a redistribution of access to the goods of salvation. Analysts may take a position one way or the other regarding their definition of the Church, and some even state the existence of a dominant church and a people's church. In contrast to both these perspectives, this paper looks at a methodological and theoretical model for studying diversity within Catholic unity. The model is based on the concept of the 'transversalized institution' as it is applied to the way in which Guadalajara's diocese functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Indias is the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study describes narrative activity in a doctrina class (children's religious education class in Spanish) composed of Mexican immigrants at a Catholic parish in Los Angeles. During the telling of the narrative of the apparition ofNuestra Sehora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) doctrina students and their teacher collaboratively construct a multiplicity of identities in an ongoing narrative version. These past and present identities are represented as Mexican, de aqui (from here), and dark-skinned against the backdrop of the description of an oppressive colonial past in Mexico. The paper compares a doctrina class with a racially mixed religious education class conducted in English (catechism) at the same parish to llustrate differences in the way social identities are created in both classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, is a traditional Christian religious event where devotees use ramos, which are bouquets currently elaborated from palm leaves and other natural elements. In various countries, it is assumed this use of biodiversity leads to the depletion of the species involved. However, other important aspects must be considered, including the role of the people who produce and sell these ramos, the associated symbolism that has been overlooked, as well as commercial aspects that have barely been documented. This ethnobotanical study evaluates the regional-scale cultural, biological and socioeconomic aspects associated with Domingo de Ramos in central Mexico from an emic perspective. Methods: Ethnographic and commercial information was obtained through interviews with ramos sellers in 28 municipalities in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. We specifically sought sociodemographic data regarding the interviewees, as well as information pertaining to the ramos themselves and the palms. These aspects were explored with all of the sellers. The free list method was used to describe the uses and key elements associated with the ramos. Results: Although the ramos are used for religious purposes, they have eight different uses in the daily life of the sellers, the main one being "protection." They serve to protect families, crops and animals, as well as against several diseases. Likewise, they are considered valuable for diminishing strong storms. This belief in the protection conferred by the ramos preserves pre-Hispanic concepts and is combined with their use in blessing corresponding to Western beliefs. Ramos are made from 35 introduced and native plant species and comprise a base (made of palm, wheat or sotol), a "reliquia" (palm, rosemary, chamomile and laurel) and natural or artificial flowers. The ramos sellers are mostly adult women of indigenous origin and heads of family. Conclusions: This study of Domingo de Ramos, carried out at a regional scale, highlights a syncretism that is reflected in both the symbolic importance of ramos palm and in the species used, as well as socioeconomic aspects that had not previously been identified in the study area and reflect the occurrence of complex relationships in non-timber forest products that remain little addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between global functionality and religiosity among patients from developing and predominantly Catholic countries warrants attention. To compare religiosity and psychosocial functioning in Mexican schizophrenia patients with and without a history of religious delusions, seventy-four patients with paranoid schizophrenia were recruited. Patients with a history of religious delusions had more psychiatric hospitalizations and poorer psychosocial functioning compared with those without a history of religious delusions. No differences emerged between groups in the total scores of religiosity scales. A history of religious delusions rather than religiosity itself may have an influence on psychosocial functioning among Mexican patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we argue that transnational social protection (TSP) is becoming the norm in the context of globalisation, heightened mobility and neoliberalism, but cannot be understood without addressing its religious components. TSP differs significantly from national welfare state regimes, which place the responsibility for providing social support firmly on the shoulders of the state. In contrast, TSP regimes involve multiple actors and opportunities in origin and receiving states and place most of the onus for social protection on individuals and families. This article investigates church and state interaction in the development of TSP across the Italian, Mexican and Filipino contexts. It advances scholarship in three key ways: first, it showcases how TSP is replacing state social welfare arrangements and brings to light those shifting church-state entanglements that are central to this shift; second, it highlights the historically rooted trajectories of church-state entanglements that these three cases have in common; and third, it shows that as TSP becomes a state tool in governing non-resident citizens, the church's critical stance in relation to state provisioning is central to TSP as a mode of migration government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the role of religion and the Catholic Church in Mexican constitutional thought in the first half of the nineteenth-century. Its principal hypothesis is that Independent Mexico?s political thinkers considered the promotion of the Catholic faith was necessary to ensure successful government and social order. In accordance with this idea, it argues that the debates which raged in the 1820s and 1830s over the questions of patronage and church property cannot be understood in terms of a confrontation between liberal and conservative ideas as has generally been the case in Mexican historiography. Rather, it contends that the division of opinion amongst the political elites on this matter was grounded in the debates that took place in eighteenth-century Spain in order to define the correct relationship between the Crown and the Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to establish the nature, as the characteristics of Latin American society during the colony, especially the new Spain, and the reasons why the wars of independence in the region, and the circumstances which determine, as they create disruptions, since the beginning of their economies in seeking to implement a project of nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Autrepart is the property of Presses de Sciences Po and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper reports on research carried out in Mexico City in 1995–1996 on the meaning of motherhood, contraception, an unwanted pregnancy or child, and the experience of illegal, clandestine abortion, as described by 12 women of different ages, class, education and marital status who had one or more clandestine abortions. A priest, two doctors from the public health system, a group of gynaecologists and nurses and a health social worker were also interviewed. The data show that it is the illegal and clandestine nature of abortion that has a negative effect on women in Mexico. Although terminating a pregnancy can also be a difficult experience in itself, it became traumatic for most (though not all) of the women interviewed due to the dominant Catholic church doctrine that abortion is a sin, and because of the criminal law punishing those who have abortions, which forces women to have the procedure in high risk conditions, all of which adversely affected their mental and physical health. In spite of this, all the women considered abortion a personal decision that they had to make. Even those who believed that termination of pregnancy was the transgression of a divine commandment also believed that it was a rightful and necessary decision, given their circumstances. Une recherche menée à Mexique en 1995–1996 s'est penchée sur la signification de la maternité, la contraception et une grossesse ou un enfant non désiré, et l'avortement illégal, clandestin. Cette expérience a été décrite par 12 femmes d'âges, de classes, de niveaux d'instruction et de situations de famille différents ayant subi un ou plusieurs avortements clandestins. Un prêtre, deux médecins du système public, un groupe de prestataires de services et un travailleur social ont également été interrogés. Les données montrent que c'est la nature illégale et clandestine de l'avortement au Mexique qui crée un effet négatif sur les femmes. Bien qu'une interruption de grossesse puisse être une expérience difficile en soi, elle est devenue traumatique pour la plupart des femmes interrogées (mais pas toutes) en raison de la doctrine catholique dominante selon laquelle l'avortement est un péché, et du code pénal qui punit les avortements, ce qui force les femmes à avorter dans des conditions à haut risque, aux dépens de leur santé mentale et physique. Pourtant, toutes les femmes considéraient l'avortement comme une décision personnelle. Même celles qui pensaient que l'interruption de grossesse violait un commandement divin croyaient qu'il s'agissait d'une décision juste et nécessaire, compte tenu de leur situation. En la Ciudad de México en 1995–1996 se llevó a cabo una investigación acerca del significado de la maternidad, la anticoncepción, un embarazo o un/a hijo/hija no deseado/a, y la experiencia del aborto ilegal y clandestino, descrito por 12 mujeres de distintas edades, clases sociales, nivel de educación y estado civil, quienes habı́an tenido uno o más abortos clandestinos. Se entrevistaron además a un sacerdote, dos médicos a de salud público, un grupo de ginecólogos y enfermeras, y una asistente social de la salud. Los datos indican que es la naturaleza ilegal y clandestina del aborto en México que causa un efecto negativo en las mujeres. Si bien el terminar un embarazo es puede ser una experiencia difı́cil en sı́, para la mayorı́a (aunque no todas) de las mujeres entrevistadas, les fue traumático debido a la doctrina de la iglesia católica que califica el aborto como un pecado, y por la ley que penaliza a quienes abortan. A consecuencia, las mujeres se ven forzadas a buscar abortos en condiciones de alto riesgo, lo cual les afecta negativamente tanto la salud fı́sica como mental. A pesar de ello, todas las mujeres consideraban que la decisión de abortar era una decisión personal que debı́an tomar. Aquellas que creı́an que terminar el embarazo significaba transgredir un mandato divino, también creı́an que habı́an tomado una decisión necesaria y correcta, considerando las circunstancias en que se encontraban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a nationally representative survey of 2186 Mexican Catholic parents to assess two outcomes: support for adolescent access to modern contraception and whether adolescents unaccompanied by an adult should have access to contraceptive methods. A majority (85%) of Mexican Catholic parents support adolescent access to modern contraceptive methods, but there was less support (28%) for access to contraception unaccompanied. Further, our results show strong support (92%) for sex education in schools. Parents who believe that good Catholics can use contraception had higher odds of support for adolescent access and unaccompanied access to modern contraception. Mexican Catholic parents support adolescent access to modern contraception, but support for unaccompanied access to contraception is lower. This may reflect an interest in being involved, and not necessarily opposition to contraceptive use. Measures of Catholicism that focus on behaviors may better explain opinions about adolescent access to contraception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the peasant rebellion in southeast Mexico has resonated tar beyond the region. Part of the reason for this was the upsurge of unrest in a country whose government was a champion of fast-track neo-liberal reforms. The uprising appeared to be a timely indictment of these economic reforms - a view which seemed further confirmed by the rebellion's coincidence with the creation of the NAFTA. Our paper acknowledges the significance of these facts but argues first for a deeper historical perspective. The Mayan rebellion criticises not only neo-liberalism but also the whole post revolutionary trajectory. We also argue for the need to lake into account a variety of intervening factors which facilitated the rebellion. One inspiration for the rebellion came from an unexpected source from a radical section of the Catholic Church, a church which had supposedly been buried as a political three for over a hundred years. The combination of theology of liberation and the sensitivity of post-1968 radicals to indigenous traditions behind the uprising exposed the extent to which the Mexican elite had systematically disregarded the condition of the indigenous population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the cult of La Santa Muerte (St Death) has attracted a remarkable number of followers in Mexico and the USA. Whereas the social context of her devotees, who tend to live on the fringes of society, has attracted ample attention from scholars and journalists, one of the principal puzzles is still how a skeleton image of death has come to be seen as a saint by large numbers of Catholics. How is it possible for this figure to embrace such antagonistic qualities as death and sainthood in a Christian context? In this semiotic-material exploration of the image's genealogy, I suggest that La Santa Muerte should be seen as a coalescing of two radically distinct images of death: the popular-secular Catrina and the occult-biblical Santísima Muerte. The St Death venerated today encompasses the ambiguities of the two and creates an exceptionally vibrant and popular Catholic image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the effects of the mass production of religious images that is decentering the institutional management of Catholic symbols in Mexico. How do mass production and the global circulation of religious images in various types of media create new ways of practicing religion and professing faith today? In the search for answers to this question, two cases are presented. The first, Catholic baroque as a popular initiative, addresses the mass production of Catholic icons and how it deinstitutionalizes Catholic symbols. In the second, the case of the Mayan prophesy for 2012, the manner in which cultural industries are generating transmedia beliefs is revealed. The author argues that the synergy between popular baroque religiosity and the videocracy creates a new sort of ultra-baroque Catholicism based on superimposing images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing or distribution of pornographic materials was among the many crimes pursued by the Holy Office. Twenty-one denunciations of illicit sexual artwork from 1750 to 1820 are housed in Mexico's Archivo General de la Nación. The items range from illustrations and prints of men and women in sexualized poses to elaborate and ingenious etchings and paintings on watches and jewelry boxes. The protagonists in this article include denouncers, witnesses, and suspects, inquisitors, qualifiers, and other church agents, and producers, sellers, and consumers of prohibited artwork. These cases provide valuable information on the sexual culture of Mexico City's urban leisure class. Those accused of selling and purchasing illegal art did not view themselves as libertines or free thinkers who advocated sexual experimentation. Nor did they advocate anti-Christian or anti-establishment sentiments. Inquisitors did not demonstrate the same fears and anxieties about erotic drawings and artwork that they did with prohibited books, nor did they conflate eroticism and licentiousness with heresy and treason. The consumers of prohibited sexual artwork in late colonial Mexico City seem to have mostly reveled in the excitement of seeing and owning prohibited materials and sharing a good laugh with friends. Neither they nor inquisitors took these items too seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico City, 1583, Pedro Ocharte published the first book of vernacular sacred song in the Americas--the Psalmodia Christiana (Christian Psalmody) by Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish missionary of the Franciscan Order. Sahagún composed his book of 333 songs in the Nahuatl language during the second half of the sixteenth century to promote the formation of Catholic Mexica (better known as "Aztec") communities in the central valley of Mexico. Well-received in its day as a primer on tenets of the Catholic faith, the life of Christ, and the virtues of the saints, it was denounced before the Inquisition in the eighteenth century and has otherwise existed in the shadow of Sahagún's monumental Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España, a pioneering anthropological study of the Mexica that did not become widely available until the nineteenth century. This article repositions the undervalued Psalmodia Christiana as a polished outcome of the anthropological research for which Sahagún is most remembered, setting in relief the understudied legacy of Western plainchant in the Christian evangelization of the New World and, more broadly, the extent to which the Mexica's native traditions were folded into the apostolic work of Catholic missionaries in post-Tridentine New Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses conversion to Protestantism in the Zapotec communities of the State of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. Conversion to Protestantism in these predominantly Catholic villages has a rupture effect on converts' relationships with their families as well as the Catholic majority. This transformation can be interpreted as a ‘social cost’, which influences religious choices made by individuals and the sustainability of their new religious affiliations. The cost is generally higher for native villagers than for migrants to the communities. Focusing on the adverse effects of conversion and scrutinising the choices of individuals who do not convert or who return to their previous faith contributes to a more nuanced understanding of religious change. The process is often far more complex and multi-directional at the local level than macro-level trends of rapid Protestant growth suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the city of Guanajuato, which is about four hours north of Mexico. It notes that its main downtown has been protected by the UNESCO World Heritage program way back since 1998. In addition, its graceful and protected colonial façade mirrors the tranquility and strong faith in the Catholic church. It says that the city's capabilities in drawing the attention of domestic and foreign tourists, academics and artists provide a small but astonishingly rich site to explore.

During a 6-month research study of substance abuse outreach and retention methods in Mexico, the authors learned about the common practice of a self-control mechanism to abstain from substance abuse: Juramentos. Juramentos are pledges usually made to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the presence of a Catholic priest. The Jurado promises not to drink during a specified period of time. The authors discuss the dynamics of Juramentos and present data from an exploratory study indicating that Juramentos are being used among Mexican migrants in Florida and may provide a culturally sensitive adjunct for treatment of Mexican and other Hispanic clients in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of religious affiliation on acculturation among Mexican immigrants to Utah. In addition to demographic information, measures of acculturation, spirituality, social support, and perceived social status were administered to 336 participants. Latter-day Saints compared with Catholics and those of other religious affiliation tended to score significantly higher on Anglo cultural orientation, spirituality, and social support. Latter-day Saint acculturation may have been partly due to greater interaction with the US culture prior to coming to this country. Latter-day Saints also rated their subjective social status higher. Overall, religious affiliation was the strongest predictor of Anglo cultural orientation except for age upon entering the United States. In conclusion, religious affiliation predicts level of acculturation. Membership in an organisation that is dominant in the local community (e.g., the Latter-day Saint Church) contributes to the acculturation process, higher levels of spiritual well-being, and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy among adolescents are important public health issues that can be tackled through the implementation of effective education strategies. Previous studies have documented the importance and effectiveness of parents as primary educators for their adolescents. A qualitative study based on grounded theory was undertaken in five different public high schools in Mexico and 33 interviews were carried out (18 parents and 15 first-year students). The primary prevention message that parents transmit to their adolescent children is abstinence. Prevention messages that include condom use and emergency contraception are scarce or absent. Promoting safer sexual behaviors among adolescents in Mexico is of critical importance. Nevertheless, the cultural scenario in the country is dictated mainly by a Catholic morality, which makes it difficult for parents to accept the possibility of their children being sexually active. Hence, the transmission of concrete information on the use of contraceptives is limited. Therefore, the challenge is to develop strategies that promote early and constant dialogue about sexuality between parents and children, respecting moral values within the family, but at the same time favoring clear and precise information about modern prevention practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Spanish- and Nahuatl-language sources, this article examines the interaction of Nahua women in Mexico City with the Catholic Church. By examining Nahua women's role in colonial Christianity—their religiosity (as admired by European and indigenous chroniclers), responsibilities in convents, and participation in religious brotherhoods and theatrical performances—their influence in their society becomes apparent. Nahua women's religious responsibilities in Mexico City lay between the officially recognized positions of men in the public arena and women's private responsibilities in the home. This differed from the acknowledged authority women possessed during the precontact period. Though Nahua women suffered a loss of officially sanctioned power, they managed to create other opportunities that empowered them during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the literature on indigenous political mobilization in Latin America is now quite extensive, relatively little has been published on why ethnic mobilization has not occurred in some indigenous regions. In this article, I examine a case where there is very little mobilization and organization around ethnic identity: Yucatan, Mexico. I begin with a political history of Yucatan, comparing it with and contrasting it to Chiapas. I then argue that ethnic mobilization in Yucatan is significantly limited for two main reasons: first, Maya peasants had so little relative autonomy under the corporatist regime (1940s-1980s) and official peasant leagues that they were constrained in using the experience garnered in these leagues for subsequent ethnic-based organization; and second, the social organizations and networks that provide activists and potential activists with the capacity to mobilize - namely, peasant leagues and the progressive Catholic Church - have not served as vehicles for leadership training and organization in Yucatan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The colonial art of New Spain/Mexico provides the viewer with a locus of examination into the robust Christianity that emerged over time out of a native spirituality newly laden with the contours and images from the Old World theology of late medieval/early Catholic Reformation Spain. Franciscan and especially Jesuit missionaries, impelled by a devotional zealotry, championed an apocalyptic vision of hope and suffering that was well suited for artistic expression. Religious art, whether or not patronized by European colonizers, became an instrument for the missionaries to teach and for the native artists to interrogate religious doctrine, and some artists, consciously or not, created their art as a response to that catechesis, a subtle fusion of ancient passion with the dramatic intensity of the new Catholic faith. One array of images in particular, that of the dolorous Passion of the Christ, was especially vibrant in the imaginations of the native artists and in the contemplation of the European missionaries and patrons. The image of the Suffering Servant resonated in the hearts and in the daily lives of the people just as it humbled missionary ardor, and excited a spiritual enthusiasm that forged an art of stunning doctrinal intimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This essay discusses the depth of Indian accommodation and assimilation in regard to Catholicism as well as their resistance to labor in Sonora, California. It describes the region and historical players involved in the study. It analyzes labor resistance and Jesuit responses. And finally, the essay traces the effects of the resistance on the mission system.

Rosío Molina Landeros analyzes a specific group of the linguistic and religious texts commonly known as Artes or Gramáticas, Vocabularios and Doctrinas para indios, which are the result of deep and long processes of observation, compilation and selection of information. She directs her attention to four Jesuit Gramáticas from the XVII and XVIII centuries in order to analyze how the information included in the Spanish-lndigenous language section of the vocabularies from three of these works is presented. She describes how in some cases the authors followed the pattern established in the New Spain by fray Alonso de Molina, in others the pattern exercised was that of Molina's predecessor Antonio de Nebrija, and sometimes even innovations were introduced by each author according to the specific circumstances of their works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationship between popular religiosity and the renovation movement taking place within the Catholic Church in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. Interaction between official church discourse and everyday religious behavior; Character of contemporary Oaxacan popular religiosity.

Contrary to observed trends in religious fertility and contraceptive use differentials, Catholic/non-Catholic differentials in attitudes toward abortion have not been converging. This study suggests that this may be due to an interaction between religiosity and education. In a sample of Catholic Mexican-American women in Los Angeles County, the authors found that among respondents brought up in Mexico, education had a liberalizing effect on their attitudes. With the exception of the most devout, the same trend was observed among U.S.-reared respondents. Among the most religious group, however, education had the opposite effect, suggesting that convergence will be delayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the processes of belonging, identity formation and construction of knowledge between new and traditional groups in a low income neighborhood of Guadalajara, Mexico. Life histories of Diocesan priests Padre Nemo and Padre Francisco; Information on the movement El Movimiento Familiar Cristiano; Definition of a traditional church.

This article focuses on religious structure in Mexico, and presents a study's report in this regard. To some observers, Catholicism in Mexico is purely a matter of superstition and ignorance. Such superficial interpretations of Mexican religious practices are easily come upon because genuine religious conviction is difficult to evaluate. The continuum from formal Catholicism through nominal and cultural Catholicism to folk Catholicism enables one to examine variations in belief and practice without obscuring their complexity. The article author expected that folk Catholicism had little relationship with the main church, but upon closer scrutiny, he found that this is not true. The study, conducted by the author led him to conclude that what seemed on the surface to be an indigenous folk Catholicism centered in the barrio chapels is in fact no different from what occurs when townspeople attend to their religious duties in the main church. In the matter of family attitudes toward the Church, the author found that among formal Catholics all members of family practice the faith; among the nominal group both husband and wife as well as the children attend Mass regularly, but greater effort is made by the women.