Santiago Atitlán: Town of God? Subject of Contested Religious Meaning: A Case Study of the Folk Saint Maximón

Abstract

In this thesis we used Anthropological qualitative research methods to elaborate on the contested religious meaning of the Folk Saint Maximón in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. For an undefinable time Maximón has been venerated by the Maya Tz utujil. However, with the emergence of Evangelicalism since the end of the 20th century his appearance is diminishing. This reshaped the local religious and cultural dynamics in town. These local religious and spiritual dynamics are reflected in the meaning that these groups attribute to Maximón. In the thesis it is argued that Maximón functions as a symbolic boundary between the different religious groups.