Reflections on the Evolution of the State of the Art

Daniel Levine

doi:10.3390/rel10020099

Abstract

Reflections on the evolution of the state of the art in the study of religion, society, and politics in Latin America over the last five decades begin with a critical assessment of the conventional wisdom of fifty years ago, as conveyed in texts and in graduate education. Stress was placed on modernization and secularization (with religion depicted as static and destined to decline) on consensus as a foundation for social life, and on drawing clear lines between religion and politics. These concepts were of little use when confronted in the late 1960s with a reality of continuous change, conflict, and efforts from left and right to assert a public role for religion. Working concepts of religion and politics had to be broadened well beyond church and state. Conceptual space had to be found for religious pluralism as the emergence of Pentecostal and evangelical churches was putting an end to centuries of Catholic monopoly: Latin America was becoming religiously plural. The state of the art is now much improved. Current and future research could usefully focus attention on issues like sexuality, gender, and identity, spirituality and encounters with charismatic power, and the new realities of religion and violence. Mid-range theories that give prominence to change and to the relation among social levels, and mixed methodologies that highlight meaning and significance will be central to any future state of the art that can make sense of a reality marked by continuing waves of creative change.

Highlights

Reflections on the evolution of the state of the art in the study of religion, society, and politics in Latin America over the last five decades begin with a critical assessment of the conventional wisdom of fifty years ago, as conveyed in texts and in graduate education
I happily acknowledge my debt to Latin American colleagues and students, many of whom are cited in the Bibliography
A few years after my initial encounter with Latin American reality, I organized and carried out a comparative study of religion, society, and politics based on field work in Colombia and Venezuela

Summary

Unlearning in Order to Learn

I first set foot in Latin America over 50 years ago. I came directly from graduate education A few years after my initial encounter with Latin American reality, I organized and carried out a comparative study of religion, society, and politics based on field work in Colombia and Venezuela. Change and conflict were not impelled only by reaction to external pressures, and and notably as a result of internal transformations, debates about ideas and conflicts between groups within the church, above all concerning the proper social and political role of religion, of formal institutions and more generally of people of faith. The lesson is that reality changes faster than theory, and that it is essential to be open to surprises, to unexpected events and patterns that may not fit our preconceived scheme, to take them seriously and try to understand them, make This is what American political scientist Key (1984) described as “soaking and poking”. All this brings me to a few obvious questions: have we made progress? Are we better off than half a century ago?

Are We Better off Now?

Building a Future State of the Art

Reflections on Theory and Method

Methods