Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mother of the Civilization of Love

By: Carl Anderson, Eduardo Chavez

Narrated by: John Allen Nelson

Nearly a decade after Spain's conquest of Mexico, the future of Christianity on the American continent was very much in doubt. Confronted with a hostile colonial government and Native Americans wary of conversion, the newly appointed bishop-elect of Mexico wrote to tell the King of Spain that, unless there was a miracle, the continent would be lost.

Between December 9 and December 12, 1531, that miracle happened, and it forever changed the future of the continent. It was then that the Virgin Mary famously appeared to a Native American Christian convert on a hilltop outside of what is now Mexico City. The image she left imprinted on his cloak, or tilma, has puzzled scientists for centuries, and yet Our Lady of Guadalupe's place in history is profound. A continent that just months before the apparitions seemed completely lost to Christianity suddenly and inexplicably embraced it by the millions. Our Lady of Guadalupe's message of love replaced the institutionalized violence of the Aztec culture and built a bridge between two worlds - the old and the new - that were just 10 years earlier engaged in brutal warfare.

Today, Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to inspire the devotion of millions. From Canada to Argentina - and even beyond the Americas - one finds great devotion to her and great appreciation for her message of love, unity, and hope. Today reproductions of the Virgin's miraculous image can be seen throughout North and South America, in churches and homes, on billboards, and even on clothing. Her shrine in Mexico City, where the miraculous image is housed to this day, is one of the most visited in the world.

In Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love, Carl Anderson and Eduardo Chavez trace the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the 16th century to the present and discuss how her message was and continues to be an important catalyst for religious and cultural transformation.

©2009 Carl A. Anderson (P)2009 Tantor

An incredible book

Bless all that listen to this book. May the mother of God enter your heart in the most profound way

Great Insights into Our Lady of Guadalupe

I was particularly impressed with the description of Our Lady's robe and the star constellation charting that appears on it in parallax view, the view that one would have if looking at the stars from Heaven back towards the Earth. For those who have faith no explanation is necessary. For those who do not have faith, no explanation is possible.

Ambitious book

This is a very interesting book. It studies the amazing event of Guadalupe. It's investigation is thorough. And takes the insights of the apparition to enlighten the life of the Church special in America.

Great way to learn about OLG

Well read, good pace and great book. There are a couple repeated words that are annoying

Good book but difficult to get through

I really enjoyed this book because I absolutely love the story of Our Lady. However, it was hard to stay focused because many things seemed repetitive. The first chapter was very long when it could have been shorter. The actual story is fascinating but the theological and technical information was just too dry for me.