A Standoffish Priest and Sticky Catholics: Questioning the Religious Marketplace in Tzintzuntzan, Mexico/Commentary on "A Standoffish Priest and Sticky Catholics . . ."/Commentary on "A Standoffish Priest and Sticky Catholics . . ."/Commentary on "A Standoffish Priest and Sticky Catholics . . .": Tzintzuntzan and the Religious Marketplace Theory/Commentary on "A Standoffish Priest and Sticky Catholics . . .": A Historical Perspective on the Religious Economy of Tzintzuntzan/Commentary on "A Stan

The emphasis on a consumer-driven faith shifts the focus from a top-down religion where officials of the church hierarchy mold belief to a more ground-level approach where individuals act strategically to advance their own interests. Despite widespread dislike for the priest and the increasing avail...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe journal of Latin American and Caribbean anthropology Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 1
Main Authors Cahn, Peter S, Richardson, Miles, O'Connor, Mary, Garrard-Burnett, Virginia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published North Miami Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2005
Subjects
Anthropology
Bible
Brand loyalty
Competition
Economic conditions
Ethnography
Families
Religion
Religious conversion
Religious organizations
Religious persecution
Spirituality
Theory
Mexico
Latin America
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Summary:The emphasis on a consumer-driven faith shifts the focus from a top-down religion where officials of the church hierarchy mold belief to a more ground-level approach where individuals act strategically to advance their own interests. Despite widespread dislike for the priest and the increasing availability of alternate religious opportunities, Roman Catholics in Tzintzuntzan did not abandon their traditional faith in significant numbers. The "invisible hand" theory of religious economy predicts that dissatisfied believers would seek a more gratifying spiritual setting, yet Roman Catholics separated their negative feelings for the particular priest from their larger commitment to the Catholic faith. In the intervening years, he joined the congregation in Quiroga, a town closer to Tzintzuntzan, and donated a room in his house for a leader from that group to conduct weekly Bible study sessions with his family and another family in Tzintzuntzan.
ISSN:1935-4932
1935-4940