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Full Description
There are a variety of people, practices, and celebrations in the Catholic Church. At times some of these can be dismissed too easily as extreme, superstitious, or uninformed. Such is the case with the Penitentes of New Mexico. In I Was and I Am Dust, David M. Mellott shares his experiences of the Penitentes as an outsider. He explains their struggles with the institutional church, and some of the seemingly extreme rituals they facilitate during Holy Week. Through the voice of Larry Torres, one of the senior members of the Penitentes, Mellott poignantly provides readers with a more intimate picture of this community of practitioners.
Yet so much more than an analysis written by an outsider, this work attempts to understand the experience of those within a group whose practices are considered outside the mainstream. With Mellott and Torres, readers may be surprised to discover a depth of meaning in these practices and to realize the beauty of being dust.
David M. Mellott is assistant professor of practical theology and director of ministerial formation at Lancaster Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in philosophy, ethnography, and theology of ministry. He is committed to supporting and nurturing Christian communities that empower people to live more authentically as they seek to love God, neighbor, and self more deeply.
Contents
Contents
Foreword vii
by Don E. Saliers
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. Historical Background 21
Chapter 2. Holy Week in Arroyo Seco 41
Chapter 3. Era y soy polvo 67
Chapter 4. Ethnography as Theology 91
Appendix 1. The Feast Day of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores 115
Appendix 2. The First Night of Las Posadas 123
Appendix 3. Larry Torres' Life Stories 131
Appendix 4. Larry's Picture Book 149
Select Bibliography 155
Index 159
The Penitente Paintings by Isaac L. Udell 167
