Acknowledgments
Introduction: Blue Candle: Insight and Concentration
1. Brown Candle: History and Origins of the Cult
2. White Candle: Beliefs and Practices
3. Black Candle: Protection and Harm
4. Red Candle: Love and Passion
5. Gold Candle: Prosperity and Abundance
6. Purple Candle: Healing
7. Green Candle: Law and Justice
Conclusion: Seven-Color Candle: Multiple Miracles
Notes
References
Index
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).
Reviews of the first edition:
"Devoted to Death is an illuminating account of a lively, vibrant,
multihued personification of death in Santa Muerte. Chesnut's text
offers a unique and very personal portrait of Mexican culture...
His expansive examination is interdisciplinary, involving diverse
topics and methodologies. As such, this book has much to offer to
scholarship in a variety of disciplines, such as Mexican
anthropology, American anthropology, cultural studies, and
sociology, among others."--Journal of Religion and Culture
"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 chatty, 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
"Andrew Chesnut offers a comprehensive view of the cult to Saint
Death, also known as the White Sister or the White Girl. ...
Devoted to Death unpacks the meaning and origin of Saint Death's
following. ... Consequently, anthropologists, sociologists of
religion, criminologists, and immigration scholars would all
benefit from reading Devoted to Death to get a full understanding
of the breadth of Santa Muerte's cult." --Contemporary
Sociology
"Chestnut contributes the first book-length study of Santa Muerte,
Mexico's skeletal patroness of death... No doubt, this initial
study has set the bar high for more research even while providing a
book that is accessible to students and readers of all levels."
--Religious Studies Review
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