Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule

Eighty percent of Filipinos identify as Catholic, and images of Catholic saints, the Child Christ, and the Virgin Mary can be seen in public and private spaces throughout the country. Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule explores why Filipinos have staunchly held on to the faith in their saints, offering an in-depth analysis of the origins and development of the beliefs and rituals surrounding some of the most popular saints. It reveals how individuals and their communities often refashioned iconographic devotions to the Holy Child and to the Virgin Mary by introducing non-Catholic elements derived from pre-Hispanic, animistic, and Chinese traditions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Eighty percent of Filipinos, approximately 80 million people, identify with the Catholic faith, a significant presence in the predominantly Christian country. Visitors to the Philippines may be surprised to encounter images of Catholic saints, the Child Christ, and the Virgin Mary in various public and private spaces throughout the country. These saints, with their Spanish names and historical connections to Spanish colonialism, can be seen in restaurants, shopping malls, pasted on walls, painted on buses, and prominently displayed in homes as altars. Despite the complex and often fraught history of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines, which ended in 1898, Filipinos have maintained a strong devotion to their saints. Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule is the first scholarly study to delve into the vibrant life of saints and their devotees during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, spanning from the sixteenth to the early eighteenth century. The book offers an in-depth analysis of the origins and development of beliefs and rituals surrounding some of the most popular saints in the Philippines, including Santo Niño de Cebu, Our Lady of Caysasay, Our Lady of La Naval, and Our Lady of Antipolo. By recovering the voices of colonized Philippine subjects and Spaniards who expressed their grievances, anxieties, and histories of communal suffering through the veneration of miraculous saints, Christina Lee sheds light on the complex interplay between religion, culture, and power. Through critical readings of primary sources, the book traces how individuals and communities reshaped iconographic devotions to the Holy Child and the Virgin Mary by incorporating non-Catholic elements derived from pre-Hispanic, animistic, and Chinese traditions. This fusion of beliefs and practices resulted in the creation of unique forms of Catholicism that reflected the diverse cultural backgrounds of the Philippines. Ultimately, Saints of Resistance demonstrates how Philippine natives, Chinese migrants, and Spaniards contributed to the reshaping of Catholicism and religious practices in the Philippines during the early Spanish colonial period. The book provides valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted history of the region and sheds light on the enduring power of religious devotion in shaping cultural identity and social relationships.

Weight: 472g
Dimension: 243 x 163 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190916145