Book Review on Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule by Christina H. Lee, Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2023.

• Main Author: Clemente, Jeremy Gerald F.
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2023
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/socialtransformations/vol11/iss1/5; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/socialtransformations/article/1170/viewcontent/5_20STJGS_2011.1_20Book_20Review_Clemente.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Excerpt: As a predominantly Catholic country, the images of saints have become a ubiquitous aspect in Philippine society. Religious icons are found almost everywhere. While they are commonly found in churches, chapels, and small dedicated spaces in one’s home, it is not impossible to find them in unorthodox spaces such as street corners and public transportation (e.g., jeepneys, taxis, and pedicabs). Despite the universality of religious icons and the intense fidelity it draws among the country’s Catholic faithful, very little has been written regarding their origins and the people behind its devotion. It is under this context that one can fully appreciate Christina H. Lee’s Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule.