June 1, 1998
Contact: Timothy McKernan, (619) 594-2588
God against the government: New book explores a Mexican legend
In late 19th century Mexico, the revolutionary pronouncements and miraculous healings of sixteen-year-old Teresa Urrea earned the devotion of thousands of peasant farmers. When her teachings inspired the inhabitants of the village of Tomochic to take up the cry, “We will obey no one but God!” the Mexican government exiled “Santa Teresa” to the United States and trained its guns and bayonets on the peasants. The bloody confrontation that ensued has been the subject of songs, films, literature and civic celebrations.
Now a new book explores the myth and examines the facts of this legend. Paul Vanderwood, professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University, spent more than 15 years researching “The Power of God Against the Guns of Government: Religious Upheaval in Mexico at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century” (Stanford University Press). The book has been hailed as “. . . a model for the highest standards in historical reconstruction for Latin American scholars, indeed all scholars, everywhere.”
“The tangled roots of the conflict reach deep into Mexican history,” Vanderwood says. “In the minds of many, the events have come to symbolize a perpetual search for justice. The legend of ‘Santa Teresa’ is still very much alive in Mexican society.”
“The Power of God Against the Guns of Government” is recipient of the Thomas F. McGann Memorial Prize for Best Book. To obtain a review copy, or to arrange an interview with Dr. Vanderwood, please call (619) 594-2588.