ABOUT THIS BOOK

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.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Jeanette Rodriguez is a professor of religion at Seattle University.

REVIEWS

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

...an original approach to Our Lady of Guadalupe and her importance for Mexican-American women. In reporting what she has learned in her six-year journey toward understanding Guadalupe and Mexican-American women, Jeanette Rodriguez challenges prevailing readings of both. Throughout, there shines the promise of a passionate, vital, feminine star in the theological firmament.

— Mary Aquin O'Neill, RSM, Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword by Fr. Virgilio Elizondo
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1. Historical Context: The Spanish Conquest
Chapter 2. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Story, Icon, Experience
Chapter 3. Insights from the Experience of Juan Diego, First Perceiver of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Chapter 4. The Experience of Mexican-American Women
Chapter 5. Methodology and Research Findings
Chapter 6. Analysis: Six Questions
Chapter 7. Theological Significance
Chapter 8. Conclusions
Appendixes
- A-1: Demographic Questionnaire
- A-2: Level of Religious and Cultural Participation
- A-3: Most Important Church Holiday, Symbol, and Belief
- A-4: Most Important Religious and Cultural Holidays-Ranked
- B-1: The Adjective Check List (ACL)
- B-2: Sample Scores
- B-3: Categorization of Participants' Statements according to DeVos's Motivational Concerns
- C: Consent and Participation Agreement Form
Bibliography
Index