Sea la Luz: The Making of Mexican Protestantism in the American Southwest, 1829-1900 (Volume 4) (Al Filo: Mexican American Studies Series)

Mexican Protestantism Was Born In The Encounter Between Mexican Catholics And Anglo American Protestants, After The United States Ventured Into The Southwest And Wrested Territory From Mexico In The Early Nineteenth Century. Sea La Luz Tells The Story Of Mexican Converts And The Churches They Developed Through The Records Of Protestant Missionaries. Juan Francisco Martínez Traces Protestant Mission Work Among The Spanish-speaking Of The Southwest Throughout The Nineteenth Century. By 1900, About 150 Spanish-speaking Protestant Churches With More Than Five Thousand Adult Members Existed In The Region. They Were Rejected By Their Own People Because They Were Protestants, But Anglo American Protestants Did Not Readily Accept Them Either Because They Were Mexican. In Spite Of The Pressures From Both Their Own Community And The Larger Society, They Forged A New Religious Identity In The Midst Of Conquest. Planting The Institutions Of Freedom -- Protestant Attitudes Toward The Conquest Of The Southwest -- Unfit For The Duties And Privileges Of Citizens -- Anglo American Protestant Attitudes Toward The Mexicans Of The Southwest -- Making Good Citizens Out Of The Mexicans -- Motivations For Protestant Mission Work Among Mexican Americans -- Yet Many Do Not Declare Themselves For Fear -- Protestant Mission Efforts Prior To The Civil War -- Teaching Them To Be Law-abiding, Industrious And Thrifty Citizens -- Mexican American Protestantism In Texas -- A Slumbering People -- Mexican American Protestantism In The Territory Of New Mexico -- Doing What He Could -- Mexican American Protestantism In Colorado, The Territory Of Arizona, And California -- A Power For The Uplifting Of The Mexican Race -- Characteristics Of The Nineteenth-century Mexican American Protestant Community -- Conclusion : Beginnings Of A New Subculture. Juan Francisco Martínez. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 176-187) And Index. Mexican Protestantism was born in the encounter between Mexican Catholics and Anglo American Protestants, after the United States ventured into the Southwest and wrested territory from Mexico in the early nineteenth century. Sea la Luz tells the story of Mexican converts and the churches they developed through the records of Protestant missionaries. Juan Francisco Martinez traces Protestant mission work among the Spanish speaking of the Southwest throughout the nineteenth century. By 1900, about 150 Spanish-speaking Protestant churches with more than five thousand adult members existed in the region. They were rejected by their own people because they were Protestants, but Anglo American Protestants did not readily accept them either because they were Mexican. In spite of the pressures from both their own community and the larger society, they forged a new religious identity in the midst of conquest. Martinez has rendered an invaluable service to the history of the Southwest.Justo L. Gonzalez, Professor of Church History, Emory University Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 9 List of Abbreviations......Page 10 Preface......Page 11 Introduction......Page 14 1 “Planting the Institutions of Freedom”......Page 19 2 “Unfit for the Duties and Privileges of Citizens”......Page 29 3 “Making Good Citizens Out of the Mexicans”......Page 40 4 “Yet Many Do Not Declare Themselves for Fear”......Page 63 5 “Teaching Them to Be Law-abiding, Industrious andThrifty Citizens”......Page 74 6 “A Slumbering People”......Page 93 7 “Doing What He Could”......Page 123 8 “A Power for the Uplifting of the Mexican Race”......Page 138 Conclusion: Beginnings of a New Subculture......Page 158 Appendix......Page 163 Notes......Page 165 Bibliography......Page 189 Index......Page 201 Mexican Protestantism was born in the encounter between Mexican Catholics and Anglo American Protestants, after the United States ventured into the South west and wrested territory from Mexico in the early nineteenth century. This book tells the story of Mexican converts and churches they developed through the records of Protestant missionaries