Investing in Miracles EL SHADDAL AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF POPULAR CATHOLICISM IN THE PHILIP... Book

Very interesting explanation of the motivations and social factors that propel the Filipino masses to support a movement that appears to outsiders to be predatory of the poor. I came out of the book with a deeper understanding of the Filipino psyche and appreciation for the good that the movement does, even if, of course, not supportive of their teachings. The author's style is conducive to easy-reading, however I found her overuse of endnotes to make the reading flow into a choppy experience. The endnotes are often very pertinent to the discussion and should be read, so having constantly to flip back to them disrupted the reading for me. Finally, interspersed in the book is a good deal of observations about Filipino culture and society in general, and I benefited from that as well.