Mexico's Hidden Revolution

Book excerpt: Mexico's Hidden Revolution is the first book to examine the relationship between the Catholic church and the government in Mexico from 1929 until the present. Following the Mexican Revolution, religion was constitutionally banned from the political sphere, church property was seized, and clerical attire was outlawed in public. Yet, as this fascinating study demonstrates, behind the scenes the church and government had a tacit understanding that has led to cooperation rather than conflict. Reich's empirical and theoretical analysis in Mexico's Hidden Revolution will interest scholars and students in the fields of Latin American history, legal history, political science, and religious studies. In addition, all readers interested in the current constitutional debates in Mexico over the appropriate role for Catholicism in public life will find Mexico's Hidden Revolution an important and timely book.