Religions of Mesoamerica: Cosmovision and Ceremonial Centers

I recently finished reading this book and was throughouly amazed at the content and the way it was presented. David Carrasco clearly cares about Native/Indigenous culture and provided a wealth of information about an erased culture, which I very much appreciated. Though I was skeptical that this book was published in the 90s, I found myself enjoying it. There was no white bias, if anything, this book does well to deconstruct euro-centric views of the world. Definitely an amazing read for anyone trying to become familiar with Mesoamerican religions.

Religions of Mesoamerica serves as a concise introduction to the complex topic of religion in the civilizations of the Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, and Maya. Carrasco does a nice job setting up the historical context; how the ancient cultures of Mesoamerica overlapped and influenced each other, how dominant states--such as Teotihuacan--exported key themes and ideas to many other areas, and how European colonialists radically altered this political and social landscape leading to syncretistic new forms of religious expression still vibrant in Latin America today. Perhaps the strongest feature of the book is the author's succinct organization of the otherwise endlessly variegated religious forms into a set of highly visible themes that recur nearly everywhere. The cosmovision of most Mesoamerican cultures from the Olmecs forward includes notions of sacred time and its usage in the organization of political power, sacred locations (manifest in the massive pyramids of the cities/ceremonial complexes) which serve as portals between different levels of existence, and the reciprocal relationship between gods and humans that leads to vital rituals of sacrifice. As Carrasco depicts it, Mesoamerican religion is best conceived through the triad of Worldmaking, Worldcentering, and Worldrenewing. Few books are so successful in taking on a big topic and illuminating it through multidisciplinary discussion. In Religions of Mesoamerica careful historical analysis combines with findings from archeology and contemporary ethnography. Each of these fields contributes key points in a greater understanding of religion's place in Mesoamerican cultures, past and present. And besides all the fine research involved here, Carrasco manages to convey these many points in a slim, highly readable volume.

The application of worldmaking, worldcentering and worldrenewal as a way to understand the role of activities within any cultural system is a brilliant idea, although not applied cross-culturally in Mr. Carrasco's book. I have used these concepts to explore other cultures and ideas and have found it quite interesting. It is a way of understanding something on unique grounds. Every culture, every human being, I think, employs this type of process in his/her view of things.The book, not only for its content, but also the way it introduces and organizes ideas is really worth merit and worth reading.

In terms of understanding the way the human creature perceives the world around it, Carrasco offers a set of tools from which to build a nearly universal understanding of far more than just Mesoamerican belief systems. The need found in one religious system is universal to others because they serve the same basic human need. World-centering, world-renewing and world-making are all done in every system of religious or philosphical belief.Carrasco's study of Mesoamerican belief is detailed and fascinating. It can lead one into a much larger view of the world.

I was delighted to find this book, as the author does a marvelous job of explaining the religons of complex cultures such as the Olmecs, Toltecs, Aztecs and Mayans in a way that is thoughtful and easy to read. Unlike several other similar texts, this is not boring. Nor do you need to be an anthropologist to enjoy or understand this text. It opens up fascinating worldviews to the average reader. I highly recommend it. Good chronology included.