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Rating: 
Summary: for what ?
Review: " For those who have faith, no explanation is necessary, for those who do not have faith, no explanation will suffice "Whatever your purpose is for writing the book, you wasted your time.
Rating: 
Summary: A very useful book
Review: Stafford Poole makes a deep and concise research based on guadalupan sources. The book results quite useful , as it brings new interpretations and critic statements related to many of well-known writers on the guadalupan subject.
Rating: 
Summary: The Woman of the Apocalypse
Review: This is an incredible scholarly account on the origins of the Virgin de Guadalupe and as the tittle implies how she became a Mexican National Symbol. The author is an ordained Catholic priest with a doctorate which lends to his credibility and not just having an axe to grind to disprove the authenticity of the popularly held belief of the apparition. Although this book could fit easily into a college textbook requirement for a serious study of La Guadalupana or Mexican History, the book is a suprisingly easy read considering all the information presented. The information is a bit esoteric at times but if followed closely reveals a different picture on the credibility of the appearance of La Virgin de Guadalupe to Juan Diego in 1531 in Tepeyec. The actual apparition comes into question for the reader to make their own judgements. What the book reveals are conflicting stories, embellished accounts and contradictory information with timelines that question the authenticity of the original known date of the appearance. The book is extremely detailed as the author begins by setting the stage with a proper perspective of the time period and the Indio and Spanish society in New Spain. Poole asserts that the story of the Virgen Mary's appearance in the New World was not neccessarily created for the Indios, as is popularily thought, but rather for the the Spaniards to have their own Mary in New Spain. I was reluctant to read this book for quite awhile because I thought it might be too dense but rather I found the first hand accounts extremely interesting and easy to follow. Besides, I am a believer in La Virgin de Guadalupa and I did not want to shake my faith. Poole has created an exhaustive study of great importance that shows the problems with the account based on sermons, Bishops wills, the building of the chapel and writings from the time period especially those of the criollo priests Miguel Sanchez and Luis Laso de la Vega on the subject . What is shown is that for more than a hundred years little mention was made to the appearance whereas it should have been the major religious event in New Spain. Reverend Poole articulates his case incorporating all facets of the appearance including the Mexican Goddess Tonantizin ,Our Lady of Extremadura, Virgin of Remedios and shows that although distinct their are many common threads running through the imagery and stories surrounding the origins of La Guadalupana. The creation of a national symbol has it's origins not in 1531 but some one hundred plus years later in 1648 based upon his scholarly report. Criolloismo (Spaniards born in New Spain) an Indian and a "new" Mary were the catalyst for the emergence of the national symbol of Mexico. When all is said and done Reverend Poole asserts that there is no objective historical basis for the symbolism but that the image has been manipulated throughtout the years to meet the needs of the Mexican people. The book has an excellent chronology of events, extensive footnotes and and exhaustive bibliography. Although somewhat disheartening, faith is not measured by empirical eveidence so I continue to be a faithful believer in La Virgin de Guadalupe but only now more informed on it's true origins. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Juan Diego or who wants to more about how La Virgin de Guadalupe came to be such an important icon of Mexican faith.
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