*** world regions Latin America religions








Latin America: Religion

religion in Latin America
Figure 1.-- Since the conquest of the Native American empires (16th century) South and Central America were a safe Catholic preserve, insulated from the Reformation. Protestants were prohibited from entering and even after the Latin American Wars of liberation, few Protestants churches appeared in the region. After World War II, Protestantism led by evangelicals did begin appearing, opening modest churches. The church here in an unidentified Latin American country looks like a 1950s scene. With little institutional support, Potestantism has grown throughout the region. Led by evangelicals, they commonly have more committed followers than those of the the Catholic Church. And Protestants do tend to fill the pews. Marxism has attracted adherents, and leaders like Fidel Castro have sharply resticted the role of the Church. Within the Catholic Church we see the development of liberation theology. This movement in sharp contrast has made little headway within the Protestant Churches.

The history of religion in Latin America is a facinating study of contrasts. The religions of the great civilizations of Meso-America, but less so the Andes, were some of the most violent and bloody if not the most barbaric religious traditions in human history. We know of nothing like this in ancient civilizations around the world. Just why this is we do not know. It is sometimes attrivuted to the austere environment in which the Aztecs developed, not all of Meso-America was like that. And interestingly the more primitive tribes had less violent religious orientations. Beginning with Columbus (1492), this all became crashing down. The Spanish and Portuguese in only a few decades destroyed the Native Anerican empires and their religions, espcially the Spanish which were the Europeans that came in contact with the great Native American empires. The Spanish were of course horrified with the idols and gore they found in Aztec religion. And considering the fact tht they were horrified with Luther and Protestahbtism, one can imagine the reaction to Native American religion. And the Conquistadores and padres in short order destroyed the temples and religious artifacts on which they could lay their hands. The Native American religions were not entirely rooted out, but any open practice was. Latin America was the one place in the world that European imperialism completely destroyed and replace local religions and culture. And while they incororated superficial aspets of the old religion, it was a huge and massive chanbge. Catholcism became a major part of Latrin American culture. And because the Reformation began as the Spanish and Portuguese were building theur empires, the Inquisition went to great lengths to keep Protestaants out of the New World. The Church worked to limit the brutality of the Conquistadores and resulting Repartimiento/Encomienda. On the other hand the Church supported the Spanish/Portuguese social order and the subgegation of the Native American peasantry. Even after the Latin American Was of liberation, Protestants made little inroads in Latin America. The Catholic Church dominated religious life in both the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire (Brazil). The role of the Church was a major issue in the 19th century debate between conservatives and liberals. Only after World War II did the religious environnment in Latin America begin to change. There have been two major influences. First, without the Inquistion, Protestantism began to enter the region. With little institutional support, Potestantism has grown throughout the region. Led by evangelicals, they commonly have more committed followers than the Catholic Church. Second, Marxism began to attract adherents, and leaders like Fidel Castro have sharply resticted the role of the Church. And within the Church we see the development of liberation theology. This is movemennt primarily within the Catholic Church and has made little headway within the Protestant Churches. Today authors are begining the discuss the decline of Catholic culture in the region.

Native American Religions

The religions of the great civilizations of Meso-America, but less so the Andes, were some of the most violent and bloody if not the most barbaric religious traditions in human history. Human sacrifice was prevalent throufout Meso-America. We know of nothing like this in ancient civilizations around the world. Just why this was yhe case we do not know. It is sometimes attributed to the austere environment in which the Aztecs developed, not all of Meso-America was like that. And interestingly the more primitive tribes had less violent religious orientations. Beginning with Columbus (1492), this all became crashing down. The Spanish and Portuguese in only a few decades destroyed the Native Anerican empires and their religions, espcially the Spanish which were the Europeans that came in contact with the great Native American empires. The Spanish were of course horrified with the idols and gore they found in Aztec religion. For a long time, the scholars saw the Maya as less war-like and violent than the Aztecs to the north. More modern scholarship suggests that this was not the case and there was ceremonial human sacrifices, although on a smaller scale than the Aztecs. And considering the fact tht they were horrified with Luther and Protestahbtism, one can imagine the reaction to Native American religion. And the Conquistadores and padres in short order destroyed the temples and religious artifacts on which they could lay their hands. The Native American religions were not entirely rooted out, but any open practice was. The exceotion was thev primitive tribes in thE Amazonian basin. But these wee not the developed if often bloofy religious systems of the grerat Amer-indian empires. Here the primityive animist relgous brlieves have survived to this day.

Spanish and Portuguese Empires: Catholicism (16-18th centuries)

Latin America was the one place in the world that European imperialism completely destroyed and replaced local religions and culture. And while they incororated superficial aspets of the old religion, it was a huge and massive change. Catholcism became a major part of Latin American culture. And because the Reformation began as the Spanish and Portuguese were building their empires, the Inquisition went to great lengths to keep Protestaants out of the New World. The Church worked to limit the brutality of the Conquistadores and resulting Repartimiento/Encomienda. On the other hand the Church supported the Spanish/Portuguese social order and the subgegation of the Native American peasantry. Even after the Latin American Was of liberation, Protestants made little inroads in Latin America. The Catholic Church dominated religious life in both the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire (Brazil). There is more than just a theological dimension to this the Catholic domination of the e continent, there are importnt was the idea of fredom. Nothing until the advent of the great totalitarian powers of the 20th century is more antithetical to the idea of freedom than the Inquisition. Catholcism like Protestantism had both political and economic aspects. Notice that it Protestabt northern Europe that invented both democracy and capitalism as well as brought science to its ultimate development. And we see that even today with Latin America lagging behind not only Europe, but Asia as well. And notice how Pope Benedict, the first Latin Amerivan primate and an undeniable humanitarian, is deeply suspious of capitalism. And this even though the only prosperous countries in the world, unless they sit on a pool of oil, have core capitalist economies.

Independent Republics (19th centuries)

The virtual monoploly of the Catholic church in Latin America began to falter in the late-18th century as the Inquisition mno mlonger held sway. Nelson's defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar meant that British niw contolled the sea lanes (1805). This weakened the royalist forces in the colonies and the royalists were the stongest support for the Church. Enlightenment thinking was challenging the existing social structures and was anti-clerical. Liberal thinker began criticising the Church for extensive libertinism and immorality, as well as for its huge land holdings, nearly half of the land in Mexico by 1800. The econmies were shifting from trading precious metals to agriculture amd raw materials. And Portuguese and Soanish colonial policy restricting tradde was very costly to merchants and producers in the colonies. Most Latin American colonies achieved their independence during a series of wars with the Spanish authorities (early-19th century). The role of the Church was a major issue in the 19th century debate between conservatives and liberals. The church was to struggle for its role in a political environment in which Liberals now often held political power in the new independent countries. Independence brought a new era of Latin American church history. There was no longer a king was more of a head of the church than tyhe pope. The Creoles (Spanish people born in the Americas) took over control of the governmnt and the church from the Spanish-born elites. The spanish were a miniscule part of the population. The Creoles were about 20 percent of the population in 1800 and exercised control over the rest of the population in the undemocratic structure. Thr populations varied from country to country eith varyinying distribytiins of mestizos,Amer-Insuisnd, and blcks. Ptortugal and the Cribbean tended to have more blacks and mulattoes. The Spanish colonies tended to have more mnestiozos and Native Amercans.

Modern Developmnents

Latin America has been dominted by the Roman Catholic Church imposed by the Spanish Conquistadores and Inquisition (16th century). There was a major debte over religion after independence with Liberals and Conservatives differing on the proper role of the Church in society (19th century). Only after World War II, however, did the religious environnment in Latin America begin to become more diverse. There have been two major influences. First, without the Inquistion, Protestantism began to enter the region. With little institutional support, Potestantism has grown throughout the region. Led by evangelicals, they commonly have more committed followers than those of the established Catholic Church. There are still more Catholics, but the intensity of Protestnt belief is much higher than among Catholics. Catholic services are often poorly attended. Second, Marxism began to attract adherents, and leaders like Fidel Castro have sharply resticted the role of the Church. And within the Church we see the development of Liberation Theology. The videa was basically to spread the wealth around, only socities that try that generally create wide-spread poverty in sharp cointrast to countries with core capaitalist ecomomies. Notably, Liberation Theology is primarily a movement primarily within the Catholic Church and has made little headway among Protestant parishoners who tend to be strong supporters of Capitslism. Today authors are begining the discuss the decline of Catholic culture in the region. Another related development is that we now have a Socialist pope from Latin America. Pope Francis is highly critical of Capitalism and very vocsl about it, but at the same time it is donations from American parishes that is financing the many admirable world-wide world of the Church. And of course those donations are only possible becuse of the wealth generating power of Capitalism compared to the wealth destroying impact of Socialism. The economy of Pope Francis' native Argentina is such a perfect example. Another interesting, but minor development is the Mennonite and Old Believer communities in Latin America.

Country Trends

Amer-Indian people in what became the Spanish Empire (Meso-America and the Andes) generated some of the most brutal and surreal religions of all the great civilizations. A major goal of the Spanish Conquest was to Christianize the Amer-Indians peoples. This was essentially the same goal as the effort to destroy the Reformation in Europe, especially the Dutch Protestants. The Conquistadores may have been primarily interested in gold and silver, but the Spanish Monarchy had friars accompany them. The process began in Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) with primitive people with animistic religious beliefs. The Aztec Empire in Mexico and the Inca Empire in Peru were different. They were great empires with sophisticated religions. These empires along with their religions were destroyed in extraordinary military campaigns. The same occurred in Guatemala with the less centralized Maya, As a result the Spanish and Portuguese Empires in the Americas policed by the Inquisition became staunchly Catholic. The Spanish turned the Amer-Indian into a landless peasantry and left uneducated they had only a minimal understanding of the faith. The Portuguese were unable to use Amer-Indian and instead imported captive Africans for slave labor, taking little interest in their religiosity. Only a few small colonies founded by the Dutch and English in the Caribbean area had a Protestant foundation. With the Latin American Wars of Liberation (early-19th century) almost of the Spanish colonies became independent republics. The political environment varied from country to country. Many were ruled by caudillos. Liberals vied with conservatives which attempted to protect the the role of the Catholic Church which was a bulwark for the established order. Ecuador was dedicated to the Sacred Her of Jesus. Some countries like Guatemala expelled Protestants. This conflict sometimes took violent turns, the final such conflict was the Chrstianos Movement in Mexico (1920s). While legal constraints disappeared, few Protestants appeared in the region. Latin America's failure to develop prosperous economies and societies based on the rule of law by the 20th century resulted on considerable self examination. Many in the region began looking socialism as the way of modernizing society, usually with a secular, anti-religious orientation. Church thinking divided. Some Catholic leaders continued to support existing society. We see increasing numbers of Catholics taking increasing interest in human rights. The assassination of Archbishop Gerardi Conedera in Guatemala was a critical turning point in the region (1998). Some clerics tuned to socialism. Liberation Theology--often ignoring actual worship. Many Catholics were actually Catholic in name only. We see empty churches attended by children and elderly women. Catholic becomes more of a cultural than a religious term. With no training in economics, many churchmen like the future Pope Francis in Argentina immersed themselves in non-religious matters. Liberation Theology failed largely because socialism does not work which ewe se in Cuba and Venezuela. In addition the greatest violation of human rights occurred in socialist states. There are no successful countries with socialist economies--examples Cuba and Venezuela. In this environment, Protestantism has emerged as as increasingly important force. While even as recently as World WarI I, there were few Protestants in the religion. This changed with the rise of Evangelical Christianity. And they began sending missionaries to Latin America. As a result we now have sizeable Protestant minorities in many countries in the region. This varied from country to country. A reader writes, "Many protestant churches, especially the evangelical churches, are centered almost entirely on worship and have little interest in social issues."







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Created: 12:30 AM 5/18/2015
Last updated: 5:03 PM 5/11/2021