The Cursillo Movement in America

<p>The internationally growing Cursillo movement or “short course in Christianity” founded in 1944 by Spanish Catholic lay practitioners has become popular among American Catholics and Protestants alike. This lay-led weekend experience helps participants recommit to and live their faith. Emphasizing how American Christians have privileged the individual religious experience and downplayed denominational and theological differences in favor of a common identity as renewed people of faith Kristy Nabhan-Warren focuses on cursillistas — those who have completed a Cursillo weekend — to show how their experiences are a touchstone for understanding these trends in post-1960s American Christianity.<br/>Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork as well as historical research Nabhan-Warren shows the importance of Latino Catholics in the spread of the Cursillo movement. Cursillistas' stories she argues guide us toward a new understanding of contemporary Christian identities inside and outside U.S. borders and of the importance of globalizing American religious boundaries.</p>