Brian Connaughton

Preaching Power

History & Biography

“This book elegantly places the words of preachers at the heart of Mexico's social evolution from colony to nation state. . . . The mobilizing power of the sacred is brought home by dramatic references to female and male stereotypes that interacted and shifted adaptively over time, producing ultimately a feminized view of piety and the church itself. . . . He has thus simultaneously achieved a longue duree analysis of preaching in Mexico, and a richly informed explanation of some of its powerful tools to reach and transform the population under challenging circumstances.”