Mexican Phoenix: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition across Five Centuries
"This brilliant and deeply researched book looks back at the interpretation of the image and the various roles it has served throughout Mexican history...Brading has provided a remarkable insight into the continuities surrounding religious practice, doctrine, and ceremony in Latin America."   Foreign Affairs"a supremely important book and one that is due to take its place among the standard treatments of Guadalupe. [Brading] casts his net over a wider field, and as a result his book is more comprehensive than other recent works. Also [Brading] deals skillfully with theological and religious matters, terra incognita for most contemporary historians."   Catholic Historical Review"Mexican Phoenix is incomparably the most complete and reliable study to have appeared on the Guadalupe tradition hitherto."   Religion"This is a work of impressive scholarship.... It makes a valuable contribution to the study of modern Mexican culture and religion.... This is a very valuable and highly recommended book."   Catholic Library World"This is undoubtedly the best work yet to appear on the socio-historical meaning of the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The excellence of the writing style, the academic skill of the author to summarize and interpret previous scholarship, and even the quality of the paper used along with judiciously selected illustrations all serve to make this a superior publication.   Catholic Books Review"Brading tells the story engagingly... the book is...a useful reference work on the history of this important devotion."   Louise M. Burkhart, The Americas"...Brading provides a comprehensive analysis of the development of the Guadalupe cult... Mexican Phoenix is an important reference for anyone who wants to understand the Guadalupe cult within the context of Mexican history."   Verónica A. Gutiérrez, Crisis Magazine"Exquisite."   National Catholic Reporter"Brading's treatment is informative, original and interestingly laid out. His book has a compellingly-realized dramatic structure which makes the reader want to know 'how the story comes out', while the discussion of abstruse points in theology and intellectual history is enlivened by gripping and often sympathetic biographical portraits, by deep readings of canonical texts, and by a mastery of comtemporary debates. It makes a vital contribution to the study of modern Mexican culture and religious life."    Eric Van Young, University of California"This is undoubtedly the best work yet to appear on the socio-historical meaning of the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The excellence of the writing style, the academic skill of the author to summarize and interpret previous scholarship, and even the quality of the paper used along with judiciously selected illustrations all serve to make this a superior publication.  Catholic Books Review