Andrew Chesnut, author of Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint
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Andrew Chesnut, Ph.D., author of Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, joins Kate Valentine and Fahrusha for this thirtieth episode of Shattered Reality Podcast. He is the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University School of World Studies.
The worship of Santa Muerte is the fastest growing in the Western Hemisphere. Santa Muerte can be considered to be a religious syncretism between the Spanish European Grim Reaperess and the the death diety of the Aztec goddess, Mictecacihuatl. She is widely worshipped by the very poor, drug dealers, prison guards, and the lovelorn. Devotees believe the Bony Lady to be the fastest and most efficacious miracle worker.
We also compare Santa Muerte to other folk saints both in the Americas and Europe and discuss the commonalties and differences as well as religious trends.
Andrew Chesnut will be appearing at the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn on May 30, 2016.
Andrew Chesnut’s book, Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint
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