Maya and Catholic Cultures in Crisis

John D. Early

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Year: 2016
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9780813059914
• Subtopic: Latin American & Caribbean History
• Index: Social Sciences

"A landmark achievement that will no doubt be cited again and again for years to come. It is a thoroughly-researched and authoritative work."--Allen J. Christenson, author of Art and Society in a Highland Maya Community "While this book explains what brought about the Maya uprisings in Chiapas and Guatemala and answers questions about the role of the Catholic Church in the development of the uprisings, the heart of the book is about the Mayan quest to live with dignity as Maya in the modern world."--Christine Gudorf, author of Catholic Social Teaching on Liberation Themes In his most recent book, The Maya and Catholicism: An Encounter of Worldviews, John Early examined the relationship between the Maya and the Catholic Church from the sixteenth century through the colonial and early national periods. In Maya and Catholic Cultures in Crisis, he returns to delve into the changing worldviews of these two groups in the second half of the twentieth century--a period of great turmoil for both. Drawing on his personal experiences as a graduate student, a Roman Catholic priest in the region and his extensive archival research, Early constructs detailed case histories of the Maya uprisings against the governments of Guatemala and Mexico, exploring Liberation Catholicism's integral role in these rebellions as well as in the evolutions of Maya and Catholic theologies. His meticulous and insightful study is indispensable to understanding Maya politics, society, and religion in the late twentieth century. John D. Early, professor emeritus of anthropology at Florida Atlantic University, is the author of The Maya and Catholicism and coauthor of several books, including The Xilixana Yanomami of the Amazon.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• List of Tables
• Preface
• List of Abbreviations
• Part I. Introduction
• Part II. The Background of the Crisis in Maya Communities at Mid-Twentieth Century
• Part III. Renewed Efforts of the Catholic Church in Maya Communities
• Part IV. Crisis within the Catholic Worldview
• Part V. LibeRation Consciousness Assisted by Biblical Reflection
• Part VI. The Worldviews of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency
• Part VII. The Impact of the Maya Crisis on the Worldviews of Pastoral Workers
• Part VIII. The Search for a Revitalized Maya Worldview
• Part IX. Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index