Andrew Orta has written a book that will remain important for some time to come. Not only does he examine the missionizing concept of “inculturation” and distinguish it from liberation theology but he also manages to explore the relationship between localization and global culture. These are not easy concepts, and yet Orta demonstrates great facility in handling them, in making them clear to those who may not be involved in missionary studies, and in moving from one level to analysis to another.

Orta sets the stage for his “ethnography of . . . (the) complex situation” that is inculturation in his preface: “In some cases missionaries are in the awkward position of encouraging Aymara to celebrate the very ritual practices they or their predecessors effectively eradicated. And so, some five centuries after their arrival in the New World to spread the Christian message at the expense of indigenous cultures, foreign Catholic missionaries at the turn of the millennium find themselves teaching the Ayamara their own culture.” [p. vii] Orta views inculturation as a manifestation of local reactions to globalization, part of the rise of ethnic politics and other local resistance movements to the spread of world systems and its consequences.

Orta sums up the core argument of his book quite clearly: “ It is that local places, like the communities where I conducted my research, point beyond themselves—that ‘locals’ make their lives fully assuming, and oftentimes requiring, ‘outside’ influences, which include, in this case, locally resident missionization”[ p. vii]. This awareness of the connection between the local and the global and their interdependence makes this book exciting in a manner I have not noticed in many recent ethnographies or theoretical works. This work is, in fact, both ethnography and theoretical treatise. I would go so far as to state that it is a model for future ethnographers.

Orta manages to choose just the exact example on which to build his theoretical model. He provides great ethnographic detail to ground his theoretical insights in reality. As one familiar with missionary studies but only generally familiar with Andean cultures, I found myself agreeing with his theoretical insights while learning a good deal about Aymara life and thought. Orta brings his work alive with his keen immersion in the life of the people, a result of many field trips and much reflection on that work.

Orta quite correctly places the theology of inculturation within the broader context of efforts of the Catholic Church and, I would add, Protestant congregations as well, to “catechize culture.” He means by this happy phrase the effort “to celebrate and incorporate cultural differences”[p. viii] as part of a universal Christian identity that sees in local practice a means of worship of the one true God that existed before Christianity.

Three aspects of inculturation come in for detailed analysis: inculturation spans a number of levels; inculturation is a local manifestation of the macrolevel stress upon identity politics and ethnicity; and inculturation is connected with the entire history of evangelization movements in Latin America. It emerged as missionaries began to see that liberation theology was not working on the pastoral level. A greater appreciation of local culture, they felt, was required to become more effective at the grassroots level.

Much of the religion practiced at the grassrootslevel, however, is inextricably bound with Catholicism. Finding the “original” Aymara practice becomes an exercise in ethnographic reconstruction, often ironically imposing uniformity on the Aymara that never existed in so-called traditional times. It is a strength of Orta’s work that he often unearths ironies and contradictions in inculturation practice.

Orta’s work is amazingly subtle and fine textured. He presents detailed analysis and skips easy answers or overbroad generalizations. As one who has worked on inculturation for many years, I found his work not only sound but also provocative and inspiring. His overall theoretical perspective is clearly stated and well formulated. His ethnography is clear and detailed.

If I have one significant reservation, it is that Orta does not explore the relationship between anthropologists and missionaries and their similarities. Many of the assets and liabilities found in missionary practice of the theology of inculturation are found in the anthropological work that has inspired the theology of inculturation. Additionally, Orta does not look at many significant works from Africa nor does he examine the generally acknowledged founder of inculturation, Pedro Arupe, the Jesuit.

Nevertheless, Orta has produced an extraordinary work, both ethnography and theoretical treatise. It will inspire future work in the important field of missionary studies. Its implications go far beyond the region of Latin America.