Though the conditions of precolumbian america and 15thcentury iberia are beyond the scope of latin american history proper, they must be given consideration in that connection. Sexuality, religion and politics in latin america juan marco vaggione 41 introduction 41 against the expectations of modernity, sexuality and religion are two issues crucial to understanding contemporary politics. The religion of a people can be tested by outward observance, by attendance at sunday mass, reception of the sacraments, and fulfilment of easter duties, and these can be counted, as sociologists have done for parts of europe, though less so for latin america. Compared to other regions, latin america boasts much higher levels of women in politics, and even surpasses europe. Religion in latin america, widespread change in a historically catholic region. David regan cssp believes that latin america is poised to give a valuable lesson in theology to the rest of the world, now that it is experiencing the building up of communities inspired by the spirituality of liberation theology. Secularism, religion, law, latin america, interamerican court of human. Catholic priests helped expand the spanish language by teaching spanish to the indians. The century also witnessed the rise, then the boom, of protestantspecifically pentecostalreligion. Latin america is generally understood to consist of the entire continent of south america in addition to mexico, central america, and the islands of the caribbean whose inhabitants speak a romance language.
Abortion in latin america and the caribbean guttmacher. Earth jurisprudence represents an alternative approach to the law based on the belief that nature has rights. There were only fifteen out nationallevel legislators in all of latin america. A latin american spirituality for today 30 november, 1999. Boundaries of latin america on the south the southern border of latin america is cape horn, actually the island of hornos. In latin america, religion has a deep founded history that can be traced back to the earliest civilisations where sacrifice did not mean getting up early on sunday morning for church, but instead took on deathly consequences to praise, worship and gratify different gods. Current constitutional developments in latin america.
Individuals there were, in spain and america, who sought to reconcile faith and freedom, and to expose traditional beliefs. It is important because through colonialism and globalization, aspects of the north atlantic experience of secularity have shaped political and religious lives, subjectivities, and forms of collective 3 there is a vast literature on this subject. Twentyfirst century crossroads terry rey 34 transformations in latin american judaism. Ppt religion in latin america powerpoint presentation. Religion and politics in latin america political science. The works in this section describe latin america s pluralistic religious marketplace, and then explore the nature and causes of religious change. Explaining catholic church support for democratization in south america volume 3 issue 3 luis felipe mantilla please note, due to essential maintenance online purchasing will be unavailable between. Women, machismo, and politics in latin america panoramas.
Latin american economic outlook 2017 youth, skills and entrepreneurship youth progress skills education growth innovation middle class. The regional abortion rate is roughly 48 per 1,000 for married. History, politics and culture in latin america an introduction spring 20. The transformation of catholic social thought in latin america. Estimates for 20052010 put the under5 mortality rate. But this relation, so central to the historical ethos of latin american institutions.
Latin america is a group of countries and dependencies in the western hemisphere where romance languages such as spanish, portuguese, and french are predominantly spoken. A latin american spirituality for today catholicireland. Social scientists have long considered religion to. I think many scholars of latin american religion myself counted. Incidence and trends during 20102014, an estimated 6. The oecd and latin america and the caribbean l regional exports are highly concentrated in commodities for example, five products, all of them commodities. The diversity of religions and beliefs has led many countries in latin america to allow freedom or little restriction of religion. Education and religious freedom in latin america iarf. A sweeping new survey, conducted by the pew research center, finds that 69 percent of latin american adults say they are catholic, down from. Director, latin american public opinion project associate professor, department of political science vanderbilt university. Universal declaration on human rights, approved by the united nations on.
Hispanics 22%, roughly the same as in latin america 19%. Pope francis, women presidents and the rise of pentecostalism all play a role. Argentinas chaco region pablo wright 32 new world african religion. Not only did the geography of precontact america persist, but both the new arrivals and the indigenous inhabitants long retained their respective general characteristics, and it was the fit between. From 1820 to 1850, the post independence economy of latin america remained stagnant. Indicators of child wellbeing are much better for latin america and the caribbean than for other developing regions, although strong disparities exist between and within countries. Strikingly, realisation of this freedom is particularly problematic in a multireligious context as absolutism easily permeates organised faith. It is broader than the terms iberoamerica or hispanic america in categorizing the new world. Latin america is home to more than 425 million catholics nearly 40% of the worlds total catholic population and the roman catholic church now has a latin american pope for the first time in its history. Charismatic members of nonpentecostal denominations, who in latin america are overwhelmingly catholic, number an additional 80 million or so, or 15% of the population. Since the 1960s religion has been a remarkably dynamic force in latin america, paralleling the shift from dictatorship to elected government. Thinking about religion, law, and politics in latin america.
Latin american countries claim antarctica as well, but since 1959 claims for this region have been suspended by the antarctic treaty, which now has 25 signers and 14 observers. According to 2005 figures from the world christian database, pentecostals represent %, or about 75 million, of latin americas population of nearly 560 million. Mapping religious change in latin america wiley online library. Class code spanua 9762001 spanua 9760001 instructor details. Religion in latin america is characterized by the historical predominance of catholic christianity, increasing protestant influence, as well as by the presence of other world religions. This is not the story of an inexorable march toward secularism, or a descent into holy wars. The politics of inequality and redistribution in latin america. Most of latin america claim to be roman catholics, however the last decades have seen the number of protestants increasing and some studies believe it will be the dominant religion in the region by 2050.
The term comes from the fact that the predominant languages of the countries originated with the latin language. Christian democracy, liberation theology, and the new catholic right. Latin america shares elements of historical experience, language and culture. Transnational religion in contemporary latin america and the united states. The political culture of democracy in the americas, 2014.
Sexuality, religion and politics in latin america sexuality policy. The decline in social and economic inequality registered in many latin american countries since the late 1990s coincided with a shift away from the politics of marketbased structural adjustment and towards a political landscape in which the social problems of poverty and inequality play a prominent role. Before the arrival of europeans in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the region was home to many indigenous peoples, a number of which had advanced civilizations, most notably from south. Lgbt rights in latin america and the caribbean, 1999 v. Perhaps the fact that the native religions were of fearinspiring. Dante figueroa is a senior legal information analyst at the law library of congress and an adjunct professor at the georgetown university law center. In this view, a river has the right to flow, species have the right to continue to exist in the wild, and ecosystems have the right to adapt and evolve over time. And despite all the legal efforts, latin america has the highest rates of violence against the lgbt community in the world, according to the ngo transgender europe. Latin american religion ranges from atheism, folk religions to more well known religions followed and believed in. Lgbt rights and representation in latin america and the. Most recently, she coedited with scott mainwaring the third wave of democratization in latin america cambridge, 2005, and she is editing contemporary catholicism, religious pluralism. The dramatic changes that have taken place in the legislation, attitudes, and practices relating to religious freedom in latin america have all affected the way in which religious education has been conceived in this diverse region, especially over the past century.
Because popular religion in the shape of traditional popular catholicism, pentecostalism, and africanbased and new age religions is definitely the most common form of religious life in latin america. Hispanics 24% were raised catholic but have since left the faith, and protestants now account for oneinfive u. The term latin america primarily refers to the spanish and portuguesespeaking countries in the new world. First, freedom of worship or non worship is one of the fundamental human freedoms. The role of religion shifted dramatically in central american politics during the 20th century, as the catholic church moved from a position as conservator of the status quo to a powerful force for reform and human rights. Latin america is losing its catholic identity the new. When it comes to religion and politics in latin america, a land of increasing political and religious diversity, you can throw many of the western scripts away. Brazil, argentina, chile, and mexico, as well as religion and politics in latin america.
Very few people follow the catholic religion in latin america. Pdf religious studies in latin america researchgate. By contrast, people in the southern cone countries of argentina, chile and especially uruguay are among the most secular, with relatively low levels of religious commitment. There is no external financing for this work, or other acknowledgement needed. See the out in office sidebars for examples of out politicians in the region and the battles they are fighting. Historically, the overlap between religion and morality and the confessional nature of latin american states, which was sometimes formally enshrined in law and. This group of countries have more in common with each other, in many respects, than they do with canada and the us.
The paradigm of latin american religious modernity is rather an evolving dance among political, social and religious forces in a region experiencing the longest democratic process in its history. Religion and politics in latin america since the 1970s daniel levine 22 commentaries christian reorder in latin america fortunato mallimaci 29 indigenous pentecostalism in latin america. Historical data suggest that for most of the 20th century, from 1900 through the 1960s, at least 90% of latin americas population was catholic. In the human rights mission, religion has played its part right from the start in two ways. Having said that, latin america is also a wonderfully diverse group of countries, as well as a growing political and economic force. The paradigm of latin american religious modernity is rather an evolving dance among political, social and religious forces in a region. If modernity as an ideological project, sought to relegate both, albeit in different. In latin america, lgbt legal rights change more quickly. Democratic governance across 10 years of the americasbarometer edited by. Owing to the centrality of catholicism in latin america, early studies privileged the political influences of the catholic church with respect to the state and society at large. Professor hurd studies religion, law, and politics in global context, us foreign relations. Latin american history from 1800 to 1914 outline periods. Cause and effect match the cause on the left to the effect. In countries such as brazil and chile, it also denounced human rights.
Religion and politics in 20thcentury central america. Catholic and muslim human rights activism in violent. After 1850, in response to european demand for latin american products, the economy quickened. Proponents of earth jurisprudence argue that, by treating nature as exploitable resources, contemporary legal systems. And with 11 latin countries doing it together, i think it is a good opportunity for qatari people to know us more, ambassador of argentina to qatar rossana cecilia surballe told community in a. Religion in latin america 1 religion in latin america. Catholic leaders and activists opposed authoritarian regimes, influenced democratic transitions, and within substantially altered ecclesial institutions, have remained a significant presence in more open societies today. In organized religion in the political transformation of latin america, ed. According to survey data from 2014, 69% of the latin american population is catholic and 19% is protestant, rising to 22% in brazil and over 44% in much of central america. Religion and the latin american voter bu personal websites. The annual rate of abortion is estimated at 44 per 1,000 women of reproductive age 1544, a slight increase from 40 per 1,000 in 19901994. Latin america relations council on foreign relations.
Politics latin america examines the role of latin america in the world and its importance to the study of politics with particular emphasis on the institutions and processes that exist to guarantee democracy and the forces that threaten to compromise it now in its third edition and fully revised to reflect recent developments in the region, politics latin america provides. The spaniards and the portuguese brought roman catholicism to the lands they conquered in the new world with a zeal and a success that have been rarely matched in history. Latin americathe institutionalist, ideational, and religious economy paradigmsdid not anticipate and are now hard pressed to explain diverging responses to the challenges of religious and political pluralism in a postvatican ii world. Social scientists have long considered religion to be a structuring feature of culture and local society.
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