Latin American Studies: Religion

Abstract

Prior to the 1960s, Latin American religion was understudied. Most observers simply assumed that the Latin American Catholic church was a conservative institution that reinforced anti-democratic, hierarchical, elite rule in what was generally viewed as a ‘Catholic continent.’ This essay examines the major developments since the 1960s that have resulted in greater Latin American religious pluralism. Catholicism, including Liberation Theology and its opponents, the remarkable growth in Pentecostalism, and the endurance of various forms of popular religion—as well as debates among academic observers—are briefly examined.