On the eastern border of Guatemala and Honduras, pilgrims and travelers flock to the Black Christ of Esquipulas, a large statue carved from wood depicting Christ on the cross. The Catholic shrine, built in the late sixteenth century, has become the focal point of admiration and adoration from New Mexico to Panama. Beyond being a site of popular devotion, however, the Black Christ of Esquipulas was also the scene of important debates about citizenship and identity in the Guatemalan nation throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In The Black Christ of Esquipulas, Douglass Sullivan-González explores the multifaceted appeal of this famous shrine, its mysterious changes in color over the centuries, and its deeper significance in the spiritual and political lives of Guatemalans. Reconstructed from letters buried within the restricted Catholic Church archive in Guatemala City, the debates surrounding the shrine reflect the shifting categories of race and ethnicity throughout the course of the country’s political trajectory. This “biography” of the Black Christ of Esquipulas serves as an alternative history of Guatemala and sheds light on some of the most salient themes in Guatemala’s social and political history: state formation, interethnic dynamics, and church-state tensions. Sullivan-González’s study provides a holistic understanding of the relevance of faith and ritual to the social and political history of this influential region.

The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget is the ultimate guide to traveling the region and getting the most value for every dollar, colón, quetzal, or lempira. Detailed color maps and in-depth coverage of how to get around go hand-in-hand with inspirational itineraries and authoritative accounts of every attraction. This guidebook covers all the Central American countries and features first-hand reviews of affordable accommodation, cheap places to eat, laid-back bars, and thrilling outdoor adventures. The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget is packed with epic road trips, adventure activities, ancient ruins, beach hideaways, wildlife watching, atmospheric colonial cities, and all the best festivals. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget.

The new full-colour Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget is the ultimate guide to travelling the region and getting the most value for every dollar, colón, quetzal or lempira. Detailed colour maps and in depth coverage of how to get around go hand in hand with inspirational itineraries and authoritative accounts of every attraction. It covers all the Central American countries and features first-hand reviews of affordable accommodation, cheap places to eat, laidback bars and thrilling outdoor adventures. The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget is packed with epic road trips, adventure activities, ancient ruins, beach hideaways, wildlife watching, atmospheric colonial cities and all the best festivals. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget. Now available in ePub format.

Nationalistic meccas, shrines to popular culture, and sacred traditions for the world's religions from Animism to Zoroastrianism are all examined in two accessible and comprehensive volumes. Pilgrimage is a comprehensive compendium of the basic facts on Pilgrimage from ancient times to the 21st century. Illustrated with maps and photographs that enrich the reader's journey, this authoritative volume explores sites, people, activities, rites, terminology, and other matters related to pilgrimage such as economics, tourism, and disease. Encompassing all major and minor world religions, from ancient cults to modern faiths, this work covers both religious and secular pilgrimage sites. Compiled by experts who have authored numerous books on pilgrimage and are pilgrims in their own right, the entries will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers.

Winner of the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association As a teenager, Manuel Chávez (1910-1996) left his native New Mexico for over a decade of study at the St. Francis Seraphic Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and other midwestern institutions. Included in his curriculum was an introduction to literature and the arts that piqued an interest that would follow him the remainder of his life. Upon returning to New Mexico, he was ordained Fray Angélico Chávez and would become one of New Mexico's most important twentieth-century writers. In The Life and Writing of Fray Angélico Chávez, Ellen McCracken provides a literary biography that includes a deep look into the intellectual and cultural contributions of this Renaissance man. McCracken moves chronologically through a substantial body of work that includes fiction, poetry, plays, essays, spiritual tracts, sermons, historical writing, translation, painting, church renovation, and journalism. From the prolific creativity of the years of his first assignment in Peña Blanca to the decades he spent researching Hispano genealogy in New Mexico, McCracken traces Chávez's complex and changing identity as an ethnic American and religious subject who was also an historian, artist, creative writer, and preservationist. The year 2010 will mark the centenary of Fray Angélico Chávez's birth, and this volume will serve as a fitting tribute.