Research On Religion » Latin America

Anselm Rink on Missionaries and Political Authority

tonygill — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 09:00:22 +0000

Missionaries can often convert people to another faith, but do their efforts have other effects? Prof. Anselm Rink, a junior professor of political economy at the University of Konstanz (Germany), joins us to discuss an interesting survey and field experiment conducted in Peru to understand the effects missionizing may have on citizen attitudes towards political authority. We begin the conversation with a bit of Prof. Rink’s background and how he ended up studying Protestants in the Peruvian highlands, and he notes that it was part-and-parcel of his Peace Corps experience in Ecuador. We then dive into his study by defining what “political authority” is. Anselm notes that definitions vary quite a bit, but he focuses his attention on two dimensions borrowed from Max Weber — obedience and persuasion. He covers some of the different perspectives on how social scientists have understood these concepts, including a brief mention of the famous Milgram study.

Prof. Rink then lays out his theoretical expectations on why missionaries should have any impact on the dimensions of political authority. As far as obedience goes, it is possible that there are theological reasons a missionary (or other religious leader) would enhance acceptance of authority in that followers are asked to adopt an authority figure. There is also the possibility that there is a habitual mechanism that enforces obedience through generalized rituals. With respect to persuasion, Anselm notes that exposure to new religious ideas could create an intellectual substitution effect wherein people see things differently, or be affected by cognitive dissonance wherein messages from a religious authority may undermine a political message. Prof. Rink then lays out the religious landscape of Peru, pointing out the growth of Protestantism of the Pentecostal and indigenous varieties. When Tony asks whether messages from Catholic priests would have an effect on the dimensions of political authority, Anselm responds that this is possible but he focused his research efforts on Protestant missionaries because they tend to have a more “otherworldly” dimension to their spiritual message and that his theoretical expectations would be that the effects of new religious messages would be more pronounced with stricter denominations.

The conversation then gets scientific as we go over Prof. Rink’s research design, talking about the 16 villages that he chose and how this helped to enhance his field experiment design. Within these villages, there were Adventists, Maranatha Christians, Peruana (indigenous), and churches that had mixed elements of some or all of these. We go through the qualitative interviews he conducted with missionaries and the surveys he administered to local citizens that included an experiment about giving up coins based upon the roll of dice. His findings from this work were rather interesting. It turns out that while Protestant missionaries tended to make their followers more obedient, they actually were less susceptible to persuasion. As such, the effects of missionaries run in somewhat contradictory directions.

We finish off the interview with a discussion of his work on religious radicalization in Kenya with his co-author Kunaal Sharma. Instead of focusing on macro-political and economic explanations (such as economic crisis) for conversion to radical religious movements (both Christian and Muslim), they have been investigating the micro-level foundations for why individuals in a community setting would sign up with radicalized groups. Anselm’s work in both Latin America, Africa, and Europe allows Tony to prompt him about his reflections on his own research. Anselm noted that the similarities among humans in different contexts should be seen as important and has some further views on altruistic behavior. Recorded: February 19, 2018.

Please note: Due to an international Skype connection, the audio of Prof. Rink is a bit compressed and muted. Nonetheless, the intellectual content is superb.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Anselm Rink’s personal webpage and the Department of Politics at University of Konstanz.

“Do Protestant Missionaries Undermine Political Authority? Evidence from Peru,” by Anselm Rink in Comparative Political Studies. (subscription required)

“The Determinants of Religious Radicalization,” by Anselm Rink and Kunaal Sharma in Journal of Conflict Resolution. (subscription required)

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Robert Woodberry on Missionaries and Democracy.

Christopher Hale on Religion and Protest in Mexico.

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Proselytism, Humanitarianism, and Development: A Panel Discussion.

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Andrew Chesnut on Santa Muerte

tonygill — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 08:00:06 +0000

Many people are familiar with the Virgin of Guadalupe and an object of faithful devotion within Mexico, but fewer folks know about Santa Muerte, the “skeleton saint,” which has witnessed a growing devotion within the past two decades. Prof. Andrew Chesnut, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, is one of the very few scholars to write about this fascinating folk saint and he joins us to talk about his book Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint (being released in its second edition later this year). After a bit of reminiscing about UCLA, where both Tony and Andrew were contemporaries in the late 1980s/early 1990s, Prof. Chesnut discusses how he came upon this research topic. While initially wanting to write about the Virgin of Guadalupe, his passion took him in another unexpected direction. Andrew then explains how a folk saint differs from an official Catholic saint, and gives us a sense of how devotion to Santa Muerte has grow in recent years, reaching upwards of an estimated 10 – 12 million devotees worldwide. He also covers all the various nicknames of the saint (including Bony Lady, Bald Lady, and even “Bad Ass”), as well as how she came to grow in popularity in recent decades. The deeper history of Santa Muerte is rather murky, though, and Prof. Chesnut notes that some of the earliest mentions of the name date back to the late 18th century. There are parallels between some of the “grim reaper” imagery found in Spain at the time, and this may have transferred over to the Spanish colonies and became part of the syncretist form of religion that was practiced amongst a wide swathe of the population. We then talk about how individuals interact with Santa Muerte, focusing on the variegated purposes this folk saint has and the different colored candles used in devotions. Black candles are frequently used for supernatural protection and/or vengeance and have given Santa Muerte the reputation of being the “narco-saint” for its use by criminals and within the Mexican penal system. Despite this more malevolent reputation, Santa Muerte is also the focus of a number of other devotionals revolving around healing and consecration (white candle), love and marital problems (red candle), prosperity (gold votive), justice (green), and enlightenment (brown), to name just a few. Andrew also relates the story of David Romo who founds the first Santa Muerte temple in Mexico City in 2003 and how he eventually ends up being arrested for running a kidnapping ring. We finish off with some final reflections on what Andrew has learned over the decades he has been studying Latin American religiosity, noting how he was surprised to find how much faith healing matters to individuals, and we also review what his next research project will be focusing on, namely Catholic death culture. Recorded: May 19, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Andrew Chesnut’s bio at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, by R. Andrew Chesnut (2nd edition coming soon with Oxford University Press).

Competitive Spirits: Latin America’s New Religious Economy, by R. Andrew Chestnut.

Born Again in Brazil: The Pentecostal Boom and the Pathogens of Poverty, by R. Andrew Chesnut.

Andrew Chesnut’s columns at the Huffington Post and his Twitter feed.

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Ruth Melkonian on Latin American Protestants.

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Andrew Johnson on Pentecostals in Prison in Brazil.

Brian O’Neel on Saint Who? Some Holy Unknowns.

Brian O’Neel on the Saints of January.

Brian O’Neel on the Saints of February.

Tony Carnes on a Journey Through New York City Religions.

Tony Carnes on Jesus’s Auto Body (and Soul) Shop, Blessed Pizza, and NYC Religions.

Samuel Gregg on Pope Francis, Argentina, and Economics

tonygill — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 09:00:37 +0000

During the first four years of Pope Francis’s tenure at the Vatican, the pontiff from Latin America released two social encyclicals that have touched upon various economic issues — Evangelli gaudium (2013) and Laudato si’ (2015). To explain the background of Pope Francis’s statements, we are joined by Dr. Samuel Gregg, director of research at the Acton Institute, and author on various books on markets and morality. Dr. Gregg begins by discussing what encyclicals are, what social encyclicals are in specific, and how some important ones issued by various pontiffs over the past century or so. He notes that encyclicals are largely directed at the bishops, but are also read broadly by lay Catholics and others to take cues on how various socio-economic trends can be read through Catholic social teaching. We go back to the first encyclical to address industrial capitalism — Rerum novarum (1891) and walk through some of the differences and continuities with Quadragesimo anno (1931), Lumen gentium (1964), Gaudium et spes (1965), Centesimus annus (1991), and the two aforementioned documents written by Pope Francis. Sam notes that while many pundits will focus on some of the economic sections of these documents, Evagelli gaudium is primarily about reaching the peripheries of society with the Christian Gospel. We then spend time discussing the economic history of Argentina as a means of understanding the socio-economic context that formed Jorge Bergoglio’s mindset. The role of Juan Perón and Peronismo in affecting the economic trajectory of Argentina, one of the ten richest countries in 1900 but which fell significantly behind other developing nations over the course of the 20th century. Perón promulgated a very “corporatist” set of policies, and Sam explains how Catholic thought influenced this ideology. We also review the period of economic liberalization under Carlos Menem in the 1990s and the “great depression” that affected Argentina at the turn of the 21st century. From this historical perspective, we look Bergoglio’s intellectual development with Dr. Gregg noting that the future Pope Francis wasn’t a theologian, had some skepticism of “high theologians,” and how he spent much of his career focusing on pastoral formation. Nonetheless, when it comes to his views on economics, Bergoglio was influenced by various threads of Peronismo, which works its way into Bergoglio’s teleogía del pueblo (or “theology of the people”), which should not be conflated with liberation theology. We then discuss some critiques of this view of economic life, including the difficulty in defining who “the people” are and how we determine what they really want. Sam finishes off with some reflections on what he has learned over the decades of studying theology and economics. Recorded: December 16, 2016.

“Understanding Pope Francis: Argentina, Economic Failure, and the Telogía del Pueblo” by Samuel Gregg in The Independent Review.

Morality, Law, and Public Policy, by Samuel Gregg.

Economic Thinking for the Theologically Minded, by Samuel Gregg.

On Ordered Liberty, by Samuel Gregg.

The Commercial Society, by Samuel Gregg.

Wilhelm Röpke’s Political Economy, by Samuel Gregg.

Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America Can Avoid a European Future, by Samuel Gregg.

Tea Party Catholic: The Catholic Case for Limited Government, a Free Economy and Human Flourishing, by Samuel Gregg.

“Laudato Si': Well Intentioned, Economically Flawed,” by Samuel Gregg.

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Christopher Hale on Religion & Protest in Mexico

tonygill — Sun, 01 May 2016 08:00:58 +0000

Over the past several decades, political and social protests have erupted across Mexico, though they have tended to be concentrated in some regions more than others. What explains this variation, and more importantly, what role does religion play in fomenting grassroots political activism? Prof. Christopher Hale, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, explains that decentralized religious organization plays an important role in providing the means for groups of individuals to voice discontent. Using the case of Mexico, Prof. Hale notes that religiously-motivated political action has been more common in Chiapas than in Yucatan. Chris lays out a theory that rests upon the decentralization of a religious organization and how lay leadership help to solve collective action problems through more effective monitoring and sanctioning of behavior. He ties this together with other factors such as political theology and religious competition. Chris reflects on how this project prompted him to think more about ideology with respect to institutional incentive structures. Throughout the interview, Tony keeps prompting Chris to cite Tony’s early research, and he eventually does. Whew! Recorded: April 26, 2016.

Christopher Hale’s personal webpage.

Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman University (mentioned in podcast).

The Rebel’s Dilemma, by Mark I. Lichbach (mentioned in podcast).

Popular Movements in Autocracies, by Guillermo Trejo (mentioned in podcast).

Rendering unto Caesar, by Anthony Gill ([finally!] mentioned in podcast).

Waffle House (mentioned in podcast).

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Carolyn Warner on Religion and Generosity.

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Andrew Johnson on Pentecostals in Prison in Brazil

tonygill — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 09:00:37 +0000

How does religion shape and affect the lives of prisoners and other marginalized people in Brazil? Dr. Andrew Johnson, a research associate with the Center for Religion and Civil Culture at the University of Southern California, visits with us and details his amazing study of Pentecostalism in Brazilian prisons, a study that actually had him living as an “inmate” in a Rio de Janeiro prison for several weeks. This study not only became the basis for his dissertation and subsequent publications, but is also part of a documentary film designed to take scholarship to a broader audience.

After a wee bit of banter about Super Bowl 50 and Andrew’s woes about the Minnesota Vikings, Prof. Johnson discusses how he came to study the role of religion in prisons. He recounts his time as a basketball coach for inner city youth and how some of the kids he knew ended up in the penal system. We then spend some time going over the religious landscape of Brazil, his primary country of study. Although the largest Catholic nation on Earth, Brazil has witnessed a significant increase in Protestantism in recent decades with a majority of those Protestants being of the Pentecostal faith. Andrew documents how Pentecostalism is a very appealing faith to individuals within the poor, marginalized neighborhoods of Brazilian cities known as favelas. These are also areas where criminal gangs run the neighborhoods, but interestingly these gangs have a very symbiotic relationship with the Pentecostal churches. It is this interesting relationship that then translates into prison, which is often a concentrated microcosm of life within the favelas.

We then spend a significant amount of time discussing Dr. Johnson’s dissertation project as it represents one of the more intense forms of immersive fieldwork that you would see scholars doing. Andrew actually spent several weeks living within a prison in Rio de Janeiro to develop a greater sense of what the world of prisoners was like. We cover the various difficulties in getting this type of study off the ground, as well as Andrew’s own reflections going into, living within, and then coming out of this very dangerous and difficult environment. Brazilian prisons are very different from those found in the United States, and Dr. Johnson talks about the crowded conditions and how prison guards have little to do with the prisoners in the cell blocks, which means prisoners are creating their own societies within this environment.

Our conversation then turns to how religious faith and organization plays out in prison. We start this conversation with a story about a pastor who was well known for helping to mediate prison riots. Andrew notes that the police and SWAT teams in Brazil are frequently brutal in putting down such riots, often killing dozens or hundreds of prisoners, and how the inmates often see Pentecostal ministers as being a trusted source to bring about negotiated settlements. The government also finds these religious pastors helpful for helping to calm situations down. This leads us to a further discussion of how religion functions within the prison walls, with Andrew pointing out that it is not just visiting pastors and religious volunteers that bring religious services into the jail, but rather it is the prisoners themselves who often establish and run their own ministries. We talk about different roles played out by the inmates, including the position of secretary of the prison church — a person who records the visitors, attendees, and controls the finances. Many of these churches have distinct clothing made for them and purchase musical instruments for worship services. Andrew stresses the role of “authenticity” with respect to these churches. Whereas members of these Pentecostal churches are often a protected group with the prison environment, it must be shown that the members who join are really “living the life” or “walking the talk.” Whereas Dr. Johnson is not in a position to evaluate the true depth of belief of any individual, he does note how this plays out in a broader social context.

We finish the conversation with some observations about Andrew’s use of documentary filmmaking to bring his research to a broader audience. He talks about the process of doing the film and how it creates a different view of his work amongst different audiences. He also shares with us a number of the surprises he found throughout the process of conducting this research. He notes the importance of human dignity and the role that religion plays even amongst the most violent of individuals in society. Recorded: February 7, 2016.

If I Give My Soul, trailer for the documentary film by Andrew Johnson & Ryan Patch.

Religious Responses to Violence: Human Rights in Latin America Past and Present, edited by Alexander Wilde.

Storytellers, Inc., film company run by Ryan Patch (mentioned in podcast).

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Robert Woodberry on Missionaries and Democracy

tonygill — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:00:38 +0000

Did Protestant missionaries help plant the seeds of democracy throughout the world? We take up that question with Prof. Robert Woodberry, associate professor of political science at the National Univesity of Singapore, whose recent article “The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy” in the American Political Science Review is reinvigorating interest in the link between religion and political outcomes around the world and throughout history. Our conversation begins with an examination of the standard theories for why democracy has emerged in some places but not in others. Prof. Woodberry carefully indicates that democracy is more than just elections, but includes respect for civil liberties and the rule of law. Our conversation tuns to the role religion plays in the promotion of liberal democracy and how Bob became interested in this topic. He mentions that one of his dissertation advisors, Ken Bollen, had noticed an interesting historical correlation between Protestantism and democracy back in the 1970s, but most other scholars simply ignored that observation. It was left to Bob to pick up the torch and run with it, a task he was well-suited for given his family’s history in missionizing. Tony then asks Bob why he thinks scholars have so frequently overlooked the “religious factor” in the study of democratization, and Prof. Woodberry then provides some interesting speculations that click well with previous discussions we have had with other guests on our podcast. Prof. Woodberry then spells out his thesis, arguing that “conversionary Protestants” — Protestants interested in fulfilling the task of The Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16-20) be it in post-Reformation Europe or elsewhere — have a strong interest in convincing individuals to make a free choice to accept Jesus as their savior. In doing so, these Protestants encourage literacy, which in turn incentivizes the creation of mass printing. The voluntarism inherent in these Protestant churches also foments the development of skills associated with civic organization, which become the basis for the vibrant civil society needed to challenge autocratic rulers. Tony notes that this finding is consistent with other sociological research finding that church attenders are more likely to be involved in non-church civic organizations than their secular counterparts. Tony also encourages scholars studying “new social movements” to look at “old social movements” (i.e., churches) because they have been collectively organizing for centuries, if not millenia. Finally, Bob also notes that conversionary Protestants were strong advocates for religious liberty, which often corresponded with respect for other civil liberties such as the right to assemble and speak one’s mind. This led many of these Protestants to also speak out against the more severe abuses of colonialism such as slavery. All of this then prompts non-religious organizations to follow the lead of these Protestant groups so as to not be outdone in the competition for the hearts and minds of the general population. It is at this point where Tony gets a chance to plug his first book which connects well with Prof. Woodberry’s findings. We look at why the Catholic Church did not proceed along a similar path until very recently, and why civilizations such as Imperial China did not allow for the expansion of printing and literacy despite having invented movable typeset printing long before Europe. We conclude our discussion with Bob’s thought on the Arab Spring. Recorded: June 12, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Robert Woodberry’s bio at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

“The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy” by Robert Woodberry in The American Political Science Review (requires purchase or subscription).

“The Pioneering Protestants” by Robert Woodberry and Timothy Shah in The Journal of Democracy (requires purchase or subscription).

Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America, by Anthony Gill (host of Research on Religion)

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Margarita Mooney on Pope Benedict XVI & Cuba

tonygill — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:00:34 +0000

We celebrate our 100th episode with returning guest Prof. Margarita Mooney discussing Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visit to Cuba. Prof. Mooney is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center. As a Cuban-American, she has maintained a personal link to the island nation, has made several trips to Cuba and maintains contact with a variety of individuals still residing there. Our conversation begins with a general survey of the religious landscape in Cuba since the 1959 communist revolution. Prof. Mooney details how religion, and particularly the Catholic Church, was repressed by the Castro regime. Priests were imprisoned and bishops excluded from the island, serving to weaken the institutional strength of the Catholic Church, but not extinguish its presence entirely. We also discuss how communism served to create what Prof. Mooney terms “anthropological impact,” a concept that basically relates to how social relations between individuals are damaged. As we discuss later, repairing this damage was a centerpiece of Pope Benedict’s message to Cubans. The recent religious history of Cuba also covers the relative thawing between the communist regime and the Church following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Cuban government’s subsequent loss of subsidies. The need to rely upon religious institutions for help in dealing basic social services was one of the concerns here. We also talk about the importance of Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to the island in 1998. Following this discussion, Margarita summarizes the main points made by Pope Benedict XVI in his “Homily in Havana.” The issue of promoting “authetic liberty” as well as promoting virtue as a basis for creating an “authentic fatherland” were central to the pope’s message to Cubans. Prof. Mooney also notes Pope Benedict’s emphasis on marriage, an aspect of the homily overlooked by the media, and why this was such an important point of emphasis for an ailing culture in Cuba. She also notes that the pope brought up the issues of faith & reason and his concern over the relativism that has been creeping into the intellectual thought of many Western nations. We finish off the interview with Margarita’s thoughts on how the pope’s visit has affected the Cuban Catholic Church and whether it exaccerbated or healed some rifts within the institutional leadership as to how the Church must deal with the regime. It is noted that some priests have preferred a more confrontational approach while the hierarchy has urged more prudence in dealing with a regime that appears to be at an important crossroads with both Fidel and his brother Raúl entering their twighlight years. Prof. Mooney closes with some optimistic thoughts about the future of Cuba and the role that faith will play in that nation. Recorded: April 16, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Margarita Mooney’s webpage.

The Black, White and Gray blog on Patheos.com.

Direct links to Prof. Mooney’s blog postings on Cuba at Black, White, and Gray.

Faith Makes Us Live: Surviving and Thriving in the Haitian Diaspora, by Margarita Mooney.

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Margarita Mooney on Religion & Haitian Immigrants.

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Sabine Hyland on Jesuits and Incans

tonygill — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:00:35 +0000

What happens when Jesuits meet Incans in the latter half of the 16th century in the Peruvian highlands? Prof. Sabine Hyland — associate professor of anthropology at St. Norbert College (DePere, WI) — reveals this interesting mix of cultures with a particular emphasis on the thoughts and writings of mestizo priest Blas Valera. We first begin, though, with some anthropological reflection on how “outsiders” can know anything about a foreign culture. This brief discussion is all the more revealing when we consider that much of what we know about Incan religious beliefs and traditions comes from a mestizo Jesuit priest who devoted his life to understanding the indigenous population. The fact that he was half Incan and knowledgeable of the Quecha language situates Padre Blas Valera in a unique position to give a nuanced understanding of the differences and similarities between two religious cultures. After a short background on the Spanish Conquest and the history of the Jesuits in the Americas, we cover the life of Blas Valera from his birth to a Conquistadore father and Incan mother, to his education on the Peruvian coast, and how he connected with the Society of Jesus. We then discuss Valera’s observations about Incan religion with a focus on human sacrifice, confession, monasticism and views on the afterlife. What is most revealing about Valera’s writings is how he saw ancient Incan beliefs as being compatible with the God of the Old Testament, an assertion that got him into trouble with his Jesuit superiors and led to his house arrest and eventual exile to Spain where he died. We talk about how the Jesuits initially thought about making connections between Incan religious thought and Christianity as a way of smoothing the path to conversion, but by the 1580s had turned against this idea. We conclude by reflecting upon whether or not this is a valid and useful missionary strategy, and what Valera’s life can tell us about our own contemporary dealings with foreign cultures. Recorded: September 19, 2011.

Daniel Philpott on Religious Resurgence & Democratization

tonygill — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:00:21 +0000

Over the past four decades, there have been two global trends that have caught the attention of social scientists — the public resurgence of global religiosity and the increasing movement towards democratic governance. Daniel Philpott — associate professor of political science at Notre Dame and fellow at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies — discusses both of these trends and his latest book, God’s Century (co-authored with Monica Duffy Toft and Timothy Samuel Shah). We begin the interview with a historical survey of how church-state relations have changed over the past two or three millenia, a broad sweep of history indeed, but one that is crucial to understanding why religion has made such a strong comeback in recent decades. Prof. Philpott shows how early in human history religious and secular authority split apart and how both types of leadership existed in a situation of mutual dependence — secular leaders required the legitimating endorsement of religious leaders, whereas religious leaders relied upon the material support of secular rulers. During the early modern period (c. 1450-1750) this mutual balance began to tip in favor of secular rulers who exercised greater control over religious groups in a paternalistic manner. Interestingly, this was a global trend. Beginning in the late 1700s, particularly with the French Revolution, we witness a global trend where religion is subjugated (and sometimes decimated) by secular rulers, particular in communist and socialist nations. Ironically, this subjugation gave religious organizations a greater degree of independence from secular government in some parts of the world that allowed new political theologies to develop and the institutional ability to organize against secular rulers. We discuss the formation, nature and influence of these political theologies, from the ideas promoted at Vatican Council II to Hindu and Buddhist nationalism to Islamic fundamentalism. In some areas such as Latin America, Indonesia, and parts of Asia these new political theologies and resurgent religious organizations helped to promote democracy, whereas in other parts of the world (e.g., the Middle East) it has led to less sanguine outcomes. Our discussion also touches upon the role of ideas in motivating human events, and we finish the discussion with some thoughts on the 2011 “Arab Spring” and whether or not that this will result in more democratic nations. This is the first part of a discussion of the book God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics. We will be focusing on the issue of religious violence with one of the other authors of the book in an upcoming episode. Stay tuned. Recorded: July 7, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Daniel Philpott’s website at the University of Notre Dame.

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame.

God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics, by Monica Duffy Toft, Daniel Philpott, and Timoth Samuel Shah.

Revolutions in Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped Modern International Relations, by Daniel Philpott.

Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation, by Daniel Philpott (forthcoming).

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Ruth Melkonian on Latin American Protestants

tonygill — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:27 +0000

Prof. Ruth Melkonian — assistant professor and chair of political science at Gordon College (Wenham, MA) — discusses her research on Protestantism in Latin America. We cover the history, growth and sociodemographic characteristics of Protestantism in Latin America, noting that although prompted by missionaries Protestantism has taken on its own indigenous flavor in the region. We note that the dominant form of Protestantism in Central and South America tends to be evangelical, Pentecostal or neo-Pentocostal. Prof. Melkonian notes how those involved in Protestant circles tend to see small improvement in their socio-economic stature, but not enough to have a major impact on economic growth in the region. We also talk about whether or not Protestantism has helped to promote or sustain democracy in the region. Our discussion turns to survey research Ruth conducted with Dennis Hoover showing that Latin American Protestants hold attitudes that are more similar to their non-evangelical brethren in the region than their U.S. counterparts, particularly in terms of attitudes towards economic and military affairs (e.g., war on terr0r). We finish the podcast by talking about how evangelicals in the United States have viewed immigration from south of the border, and how Global South Christianity may be transforming religion here in the U.S. Recorded: April 21, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Ruth Melkonian’s website at Gordon College.

“Latin American Evangelicals: Made in Whose Images?” by Ruth Melkonian and Dennis Hoover.

The Reformation of Machismo: Evangelical Conversion and Gender in Colombia, by Elizabeth Brusco.

Rendering unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America, by Anthony Gill (not mentioned by name in the podcast but referenced, and the opportunity to show listeners that I’m an author and not just a pretty voice).

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