Abstract

RENDON, Tonatiuh Delgado. Conversion through Healing among Nahuas of Atliaca, Guerrero: The Case of Presbyterianism. Rev. urug. Antropología y Etnografía [online]. 2025, vol.10, n.1, e108.  Epub June 01, 2025. ISSN 2393-7068.  https://doi.org/10.29112/ruae.v10i1.2428.

This article is the result of broader research conducted since 2011 in the Nahua community of Atliaca, Guerrero. In the current phase, I analyze the process of religious change and diversification within the community. In this writing, I examine two experiences of conversion to Presbyterianism stemming from the healing of an illness.

Based on the premise that health/disease/care processes play a cardinal role in the instrumentalization of religious beliefs, I emphasize the shift in perspective regarding the afflictions of a man and a woman who have converted thanks to the adoption of a new interpretation scheme and a gradual understanding of the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine. I also highlight the importance of gifts and healing prayer among members of the congregation.

For the writing of this text, I have drawn upon ethnographic data generated from my fieldwork in 2022, which includes participant observation in Sunday and/or special worship services, in-depth interviews with converts, and the development of conversion narratives as analytical tools for their changes

Keywords : conversion; healing; illness; Nahuas; Guerrero.

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