Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that Mexican American religious history is an intrinsic and indispensable part of US religious history in general. It describes a “Christianity-plus” approach, acknowledging the overwhelming predominance of Catholic Christianity for Mexican Americans while remembering that Catholicism is not the entire story. Nonetheless, Catholicism’s centuries-long history in Mexico and among Mexican Americans has left an indelible stamp on Mexican American life, even for those who are not Catholic. This means that a careful study of Mexican American Catholicism is essential for comprehending Mexican American religious identity, even when it departs dramatically from Catholic Christianity. Mexican American women and men have a rich religious heritage that reveals so much about who Mexican American people are as well as the complex religious history of the United States.