Myth, miramiento, and the making of religious landscapes

Abstract

This chapter examines the production of embodied religious landscapes in the high provinces of rural Peru. I begin by outlining two trends in the study of religious landscapes: one focused on the social relations surrounding built landscapes and the other engaging with the lived or embodied religious landscapes, including the narratives and stories which construct them. I then consider the ways that embodied religious landscapes in Peru contribute to a particular kind of provocation (Massey, J Mater Cult 11(1-2):33-48, 2006) or myth which suggests that religious change and the growth of Evangelical Protestantism are linked to economic success. I conclude by suggesting that these stories and symbols are essential for understanding fully the social production of religious landscapes.