Mexican President AMLO Defends Santa Muerte

April 23, 2024 By Andrew Chesnut

This morning Mexican president Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) became the first Mexican president to speak positively of Santa Muerte, the New Religious Movement which went public in Mexico City in 2001. Previous presidents had either ignored the skeletal folk saint or in the case of Felipe Calderon actually declared war on her as religious enemy number one of the Mexican state in its battle against the drug cartels. The Mexican president stated in his morning address to... Read more

Catholic UFOs and New Religious Movements

April 10, 2024 By Andrew Chesnut

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On April 8, 2024, I hosted Professor Diana Pasulka of University of North Carolina, Wilmington, for a riveting talk titled “Contemporary Ascent Narratives: From Catholic UFOs to New Religious Movements.” Dr. Pasulka spoke as part of my annual Catholic Studies lecture series at Virginia Commonwealth University where I hold a Chair in Catholic Studies and am Professor of Religious Studies. Listen to Professor Pasulka’s talk here and follow her on Instagram and me on X and Instagram. In collaboration with... Read more

Pastor Smashes Santa Muerte and Virgin of Guadalupe Statues

January 6, 2024 By Andrew Chesnut

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In a shocking incident that has gone viral in Mexico, an American Baptist pastor destroyed statues of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Santa Muerte with an ax, sparking widespread controversy and debate across the country. The extreme act of iconoclasm was performed by Pastor Kevin Wynne of Iglesia Bautista Fundamental Monte Sion in Mexico City during a recent service at his church. The axing of two of the three giants of the Mexican religious landscape has led to a storm... Read more

20 Differences Between Santa Muerte and San La Muerte

December 13, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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By guest contributor Dr. Alejandro Frigerio* The sanctification of death and the similarity of their imagery often leads to confusion between the Argentine and the Mexican skeleton saints. However, there are significant differences between the two, due to the very different social contexts in which they developed and the different roles that “death” plays in the social imaginary of each society. Although nowadays there may be some overlap between the two devotions through the internet and social media, where it’s... Read more

The Two Skeleton Saints – A Journey Into the Fascinating World of Santa Muerte and San La Muerte

December 8, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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By guest contributor, anthropologist Luciano Martucci The unprecedented ethnographic exposition in Bologna, which revealed the synergy between two unique religious expressions in Latin America, has sparked growing interest among Europeans. The exhibition “The Two Saints,” was the first of its kind in Europe, offering unique perspectives on Santa Muerte and San La Muerte in a singular exhibition in Bologna, Italy. Held at the Plug Radio Spazio Arte, Via Cartoleria 4°, the exhibition welcomed more than 260 visitors from November 14... Read more

Lost Causes and Left-Handed Favors – Saint Jude, the Most Popular Catholic Saint in Mexico

October 23, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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Practically unknown in Mexico before the 1980s, Saint Jude Thaddeus has catapulted to the top position among Catholic saints in the country with the world’s second largest Catholic population, which will soon surpass Brazil for the top spot. No other Catholic saint rivals the popularity of San Judas in Mexico. Only the Virgin of Guadalupe and folk saint Santa Muerte can compete with St. Jude for Mexican souls. And over the past decade or so, competition between the nation’s number... Read more

Umbanda – Religious Syncretism Brazilian Style

October 1, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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Umbanda is a syncretic Brazilian religion that originated in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. Combining elements of African, Catholic, and Spiritist beliefs and practices, Umbanda has developed into a unique religion with its own rituals, spiritual entities, and cosmology. Umbanda emerged in the context of Brazil’s rich cultural diversity, characterized by the second largest Black population on the planet after Nigeria, Indigenous peoples, citizens of European descent and millions of multiracial individuals. During the late 19th and early 20th... Read more

Our Lady of Pride – Santa Muerte Loves Her Queer Children

July 28, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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By guest contributor Emma Cieslik* Content warning: This piece mentions self harm and suicide. Caption: At the 2015 Gay Pride march in Mexico City, a statue of Santa Muerte decorated in a rainbow flag cloak and butterflies as the saint for LGBTQ+ people of faith. Photo credit: Toni Francois Santa Muerte, a folk saint of death, opens her arms to all LGBTQ+ people. Although there are many queer-coded saints within the Catholic Church, from Saint Sebastian to Joan of Arc... Read more

Slave Anastacia – Folk Saint, Umbanda Spirit and Symbol of Afro-Brazilian Empowerment

July 5, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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Escrava Anastácia, or Slave Anastacia, is a fascinating figure on the Brazilian spiritual landscape who serves as both a vernacular saint in folk Catholicism and a spirit guide in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Umbanda. Her story encapsulates a tragic and compelling narrative that intertwines historical accounts of slavery, racial identity, gender oppression, and spiritual resistance. While the existence of Anastácia as an actual historical figure is dubious, her legend has endured and transcended time, symbolizing the resilience and resistance of... Read more

Somebody’s Always Watching Me – Dr. Andrew Chesnut Interviews Antonio Pagliarulo on His New Book “The Evil Eye”

June 6, 2023 By Andrew Chesnut

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Dr. Andrew Chesnut: Antonio – you just published this new book on one of the world’s oldest superstitions at a time when institutional religious affiliation is waning and secularization is surging. I have to ask: Why the Evil Eye, and why now? Antonio Pagliarulo: The Evil Eye has always been with us; it’s one of the few ancient beliefs that is truly ubiquitous, present in myriad cultures and countries. In the past few years, however, there has been a... Read more