Sabina Maglioccos book The Two Madonnas deals with a number of broad themes: the relationship between the sacred and the secular, the relationship between popular faith and orthodox religion, the intersection of religion, power, prestige, and politics, the impact of globalization and change on religious traditions (the relationship between the local and the global), the important relationship between religion and community. In your paper, discuss and critically analyze two of these themes and how they play out in the celebration of festivals in Monteruju. Support your discussion and argument with well-chosen examples from the text. In two to three final paragraphs, draw some comparisons with other material we have discussed in the course that have similar importance with regard to the two themes you have chosen to write about. Here you may also bring in examples from your own experience as long as they are pertinent to the argument and the comparison. Finally, tell me what your reading of this book adds to your understanding of religious diversity.
Please be thoughtful and thorough in your essay and bring in examples from readings (you should use some direct quotes and when you do cite the page number and author: as in Magliocco, p. 7).