Dr Butler provides a new interpretation of the cristero war (1926-29) which divided Mexico's peasantry into rival camps loyal to the Catholic Church (cristero) or the Revolution (agrarista). Focusing on the state of Michoac�n in western-central Mexico, the book shows how matters of faith were as crucial to peasants on both sides as political factors. Based on oral testimonies and evidence from many ecclesiastical and state archives, this study makes an important contribution to the religious history of the Mexican Revolution.