Devotion in Motion: Pilgrimage in Modern Mexico

A study of contemporary pilgrimage through the elastic history of a shrine in Oaxaca, Mexico.

For many, pilgrimage conjures ideas about ancient traditions and somber journeys of self-discovery--an escape from modern life. In Devotion in Motion, Edward Wright-Ríos argues that we misunderstand pilgrimage (past and present) if we ignore its dynamic relationship with the rhythms of daily life and community.

Through the story of a centuries-old, ever-changing Catholic shrine to Our Lady of Juquila in Oaxaca, Mexico, Wright-Ríos reveals how tradition, innovation, marketing, and devotion coexist and interact in pilgrimage. Devotees, he shows, are not dissuaded by the embeddedness of the sacred site in the complexities, hierarchies, or conflicts of their lives. In fact, the truckers, accountants, and health-care workers we meet in this book actively seek new resources (including social media) to aid and share their devotion. Part microhistory, part ethnography, Devotion in Motion is a celebration of pilgrimage as a living experience in every generation.

Edward Wright-Ríos is professor of history at Vanderbilt University. His books include Searching for Madre Matiana: Prophecy and Popular Culture in Modern Mexico.