This book investigates the complex linguistic and cultural negotiations that occurred during the evangelization of colonial Mexico, specifically focusing on how the Christian message was translated and adapted for indigenous populations. Nancy M. Farriss, a distinguished historian of colonial Latin America, utilizes archival records and linguistic analysis to examine the role of indigenous elites as intermediaries. She argues that the process of conversion was not a one-way imposition but a collaborative and often contentious act of translation that fundamentally altered both the message and the recipient culture.

Scholars recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of colonial cultural exchange and linguistic history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous attention to the nuances of indigenous-Spanish interaction.