The role of the religious specialist in Andean cultures of the sixteenth; seventeenth; and eighteenth centuries was a complicated one; balanced between local traditions and the culture of the Spanish. In "The Power of" Huacas; Claudia Brosseder reconstructs the dynamic interaction between religious specialists and the colonial world that unfolded around them; considering how the discourse about religion shifted on both sides of the Spanish and Andean relationship in complex and unexpected ways. In "The Power of" Huacas; Brosseder examines evidence of transcultural exchange through religious history; anthropology; and cultural studies. Taking Andean religious specialists--or "hechizeros" (sorcerers) in colonial Spanish terminology--as a starting point; she considers the different ways in which Andeans and Spaniards thought about key cultural and religious concepts. Unlike previous studies; this important book fully outlines both sides of the colonial relationship; Brosseder uses extensive archival research in Bolivia; Chile; Ecuador; Peru; Spain; Italy; and the United States; as well as careful analysis of archaeological and art historical objects; to present the Andean religious worldview of the period on equal footing with that of the Spanish. Throughout the colonial period; she argues; Andean religious specialists retained their own unique logic; which encompassed specific ideas about holiness; nature; sickness; and social harmony. "The Power of" Huacas deepens our understanding of the complexities of assimilation; showing that; within the maelstrom of transcultural exchange in the Spanish Americas; European paradigms ultimately changed more than Andean ones.
#1172186 in Books 1986Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.20 x 5.87 x 8.62l; #File Name: 0029196213330 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A good political exploration of the war in KoreaBy demerson19This book's goals were different from my expectations; which explain why I "like" but don't "love" the book. If you want to know much about the actual war in Korea; this book is not of great help. It is not a history of the war so much as a history of the politics behind the war. MacDonald does a great job of scoping out the political landscape and showing the complexities of American leaders trying to understand "limited" warfare. You get a clear understanding of the developing Cold War; the growth of China; and the end of America's style of fighting. What you do not get is any idea of life for the soldiers or Koreans -- this is a 10;000-foot view which rarely gets down to the ground.
