Abstract

ZARATE HERNANDEZ, José Eduardo. The messianic thought and its conflictive and pious expressions in the center of Michoacán. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2022, vol.43, n.172, pp.26-47.  Epub Aug 11, 2023. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v43i172.952.

Nowadays, the messianic idea is present not only in the beliefs and practices of fundamentalist groups but also in other areas of modern life, such as in certain scientific discourses that warn of the end of the world, as well as in celebrations and religious conflicts. To understand its current importance, I propose to adopt a post-secular approach that does not sharply distinguish the religious-spiritual from the modern or secular rational thought, precisely because messianism (or the messianic idea) articulates and gives meaning to a series of actions of a very diverse nature that are directly related to the preparation of people to try to shape the future already foreseen. In the first place, I locate the contemporaneity of the messianic idea. Then, I analyze how two versions of messianism confront each other in a particular region, the center of Michoacán: the one associated with the idea of ​​progress versus pious devotion. Finally, based on ethnographic material, I present a description of the religious offering as an expression of gift, as a popular version of the messianic realization.

Keywords : Religiosity; beliefs; science; progress; State.