Latin AmericaSee also Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico. 1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction: Hanson (below) offers six models of church-state relations from Latin American history: traditional authoritarianism, the triple alliance of landowners, military, and higher ecclesiastics; culturally diffused religion, where the church had little institutional influence; the state-church alliance of Neo-Christendom; Christian Democracy, Catholic culture and democratic politics; Social Catholicism, emphasizing ecclesial base communities oriented toward “a preferential option for the poor”; and Religious Interest Group. In general, the 1990s market capitalism and democratic politics of the “Washington Consensus,” with its American advocacy of a hemisphere trading area, failed to deliver prosperity to the continent’s poor. This fostered center-left governments in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, and a more radical government under Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. The U.S. election of Obama has offered a new start. In many countries populist movements have succeeded the traditional political parties, adding volatility to the region. Mexico has experienced a much more competitive battle among three political parties (PRI, PAN, PRD) since the mid-1990s. It had its first modern non-PRI president in 2000, and witnessed a bruising struggle between the PAN’s Felipe Calderón and the PRD’s Andrés López Obrador (PRD) in the 2006 election. The highest electoral court declared Calderón the winner on September 5, but polarization remains (See Mexico). There also remains significant tension over the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. South America has greatly expanded its agricultural output, and both India and China hope to develop much stronger ties with the region. Chile elected Michelle Bachelet, the first non-widow woman as a Latin American president, in January 2006. That coalition of Socialists and Christian Democrats ruled the country until the election of Pinera. (See Chile). The former labor leader Lula was reelected president of Brazil (See Brazil). The Brazilian and Chilean Catholic Churches distinguished themselves in standing up against military authoritarianism, while the Argentine one did not. The Argentine and Mexican Catholic Churches remain much weaker than the Brazilian and Chilean ones. Latin American economies, led by Brazil, have done well in 2009-2010 (see below). 2. Religion and Politics Sections: “IX. Latin America: Indigenous Religions, Christianity, and Globalization” (pp. 260-94) 3. A Short Introductory Course: Smith discusses the history of Catholic-Pentecostal relations. Gill discusses the relationship between religious competition and democracy in South America. The Steigenga and Cleary volume covers the rich interactive religious reality of contemporary Latin America. If you are going to read one short piece on the current state of religion in Latin America, read Steigenga and Cleary's introduction, pp. 3-32. Also see articles below for pope's trip to Latin American Bishops' Conference in May 2007. Smith, Brian H. Religious Politics in Latin America: Pentecostal vs. Catholic (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1998). Gill, Anthony, “Religion and Democracy in South America: Challenges and Opportunities,” in Jelen and Wilcox, Comparative Politics (2002). Steigenga, Timothy J., and Cleary, Edward L. Conversion of a Continent: Contemporary Religious Change in Latin America (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2007). 4. Other Resource Materials: Bruneau, Thomas C. The Political Transformation of the Brazilian Catholic Church (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1974). Chesnut, R. Andrew, “A Preferential Option for the Spirit: The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Latin America’s New Religious Economy,” Latin American Politics and Society 45, no. 1 (spring 2003): 55-85. Cleary, Edward L. and Steigenga, Timothy J., eds. Resurgent Voices in Latin America: Indigenous Peoples, Political Mobilization and Religious Change (Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2004). Cleary, Edward L. and Steward-Gambino, Hannah, eds. Power, Politics, and Pentecostals in Latin America (Boulder, CO.: Westview Press, 1997). Corten, Andre, and Marshall-Fratani, Ruth, eds. Between Babel and Pentecost: Transnational Pentecostalism in Africa and Latin America (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001). Crahan, Margaret, “Church and State in Latin America: Assassinating Some Old and New Stereotypes,” in Daedalus (1991). Friere, Paulo. The Paulo Friere Reader (London: Continuum, 1999). Freston, Paul. Evangelicals and Politics in Asia, Africa and Latin America (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001). Freston, Paul, ed. Evangelical Christianity and Democracy in Latin America (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006). Garrard-Burnett, Virginia, ed. On Earth as It is in Heaven: Religion in Modern Latin America (Wilmington, DE.: Scholarly Resources Inc., 2000). Gill, Anthony. Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998). Goldman, Francisco. The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? (New York: Grove Press, 2007). The story of the assassination of Guatemalan Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera (1922-98). Klaiber, Jeffrey, S.J. The Church, Dictatorships, and Democracy in Latin America (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1998). Mainwaring, Scott, and Wilde, Alexander, eds. The Progressive Church in Latin America (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1989). Montgomery, Tommie Sue. “El Salvador: The Descent Into Violence,” International Policy Report (March 1982). Smith, Brian H. Religious Politics in Latin America: Pentecostal vs. Catholic (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1998). Smith, Brian H. The Church and Politics in Chile: Challenges to Modern Catholicism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982). 5. Recent Articles (a. General Politics and Economics; b. Internal Religious Issues; c. Religion and Politics; d. Regional Issues and Foreign Policy): a. General Politics and Economics “South America Seeks to Fill the World’s Table, New York Times, December 12, 2004. Exponential growth of South America, especially Brazil’s, agricultural output. “Unending Graft Is Threatening Latin America,” New York Times, July 30, 2005. Throughout continent, but especially Brazil. “Populist Movements Wrest Much of Latin America From Old Parties,” New York Times, April 20, 2006. “16 years after first term, Peru’s president returns,” San Jose Mercury News, July 29, 2006. Alan García, whose 1985-90 presidency was a disaster, takes over from Stanford economist of indigenous descent, Alejandro Toledo, also a failure. García, who won a June 4 run-off from political outsider Ollanta Humala, very popular in the rural areas, has promised to learn from earlier mistakes and attack poverty. "Fears of Turmoil Persist as Powerful President Reshapes Bitterly Divided Bolivia," New York Times, September 28, 2008. Tense politics surrounding government of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president elected in 2005. Senior state department comment on two revolutions, "one in the highlands that is indigenous-focused with a demoratically elected leader, but at the same time with an antiglobal element," and one "in the lowlands. . .for decentralized government, but quite frankly has to overcome racism." Morales is in alliance with Chavez of Venezuela. "Chavez Scores a Decisive Victory in His Bid to Lift Term Limits in Venezuela," New York Times, February 16, 2009. Chavez garners 54.4 percent of vote in bid to remove all constitutional term limits for elected officials, including himself. He lost in December 2007. "Chilean Vote Is another Sign of Latin America's Fading Political Polarization," New York Times, January 20, 2010. "Latin Economies Racing Forward As Others Creep," New York Times, July 1, 2010. Countries like Brazil, Chile, and Peru experience robust growth in time of rising commodity prices and low interest rates and inflation. Impact of Chinese demand and other foreign investment. b. Internal Religious Issues “Peru’s Catholics Brace for Fissures in Their Church,” New York Times, May 8, 2005. Liberation Theology and Opus Dei in same national church. "Paraguay's Ruling Party Faces Threat of a Populist Bishop," New York Times, February 27, 2007. Msgr. Fernando Lugo, recently suspended by Vatican, is threatening rule of Colorado Party. "As Pope Heads to Brazil, a Rival Theology Persists," New York Times, May 7, 2007. Persistence of Liberation Theology in Latin America. In Brazil, 80,000 Base Communities and nearly one million Bible circles meet. Writings, but not the person, of Jesuit Jon Sobrino criticized by Vatican in March. Pope Benedict XVI goes to Brazil for very important CELAM conference. Lots of coverage throughout month. "The Pope, Addressing Latin America's Bishops, Denounces Capitalism and Marxism," New York Times, May 14, 2007. The major speech of the visit in Aparecida. "Reconciliation and reproach: Benedict in Brazil," (May 25, 2007) and "Bishops draw on legacy of liberation theology," (June 8), National Catholic Reporter. Analysis by John L. Allen, Jr. "Good News From Brazil," America (August 27-September 3, 2007): 21-24. Analysis by Francis Chamberlain, superior of Ayacucho, Peru, Jesuit Commuity, of pope's talk and document of Latin American bishops. Chamberlain focuses on the Kingdom of Heaven, the preferential option for the poor, ecology and globalization, and Base Christian Communities. "The spirit of Medellin is alive." "Signs of life in Latin America," National Catholic Reporter, November 2, 2007. Analysis by John L. Allen, Jr., of "secular instances" of Liberation Theological themes in Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. In the first four cases, there is some tension with the ecclesiastical hierarchy.The Venezuelan bishops, for example, opposed the Venezuelan referendum on December 2, and it failed. However, [in Apparecida, the Latin American bishops] endorsed a moderate form of liberation theology, centered on four points: the option for the poor, the concept of structural sin, the "see-judge-act" pastoral method, and base communities." "Collaborative Theology: Latin American Bishops, the Pope, and the Poor," Commonweal, January 31, 2008. Analysis of general themes of Aprarecida documents by Notre Dame Latino theologian Virgilio Elizondo. "Sympathetic to Chavez, A New Church Draws Fire," New York Times, August 1, 2008. Report of and comments on Reformed Catholic Church of Venezuela, tied to conservative Anglicans in Texas. c. Religion and Politics "Latin American politicians suddenly finding religion," San Jose Mercury News, December 8, 2006. Chavez, Ortega, etc. Latinobarometer survey found that Church is most respected institution in region. "Trading Pulpit for Politics, Paraguay Cleric Is Favored," New York Times, April 20, 2008. Background of ex-Bishop Fernando Lugo, running to overturn Colorado Party's 62-year grip on Paraguayan politics. He won, and Vatican relented and laicized him after the victory. His philandering while weakened him seriously after it came out in spring 2009. Colorado Party had also retained control of Congress. "Rain Forest Tribe's Charge of Neglect Is Shrouded by Religion and Politics," New York Times, October 7, 2008. Venezuela expelled 200 U.S. missionaries to the Yanomami in 2005. Government disputes charge. "The 'not so cordial' church-state relations in Nicaragua," National Catholic Reporter, May 15, 2009. Current tension, and history (much worse during Contras) of relationship between Ortega and Catholic Church. d. Regional Issues and Foreign Policy “Hemisphere Meeting Ends Without Trade Consensus,” New York Times, November 6, 2005. Bush fails to convince, from left, Chavez (Venezuela), Kirchner (Argentina) da Silva (Brazil). Fox (Mexico) and Lagos (Chile) argue for pact. “Seeking United Latin America, Venezuela’s Chávez Is a Divider,” New York Times, May 20, 2006. Diplomatic mistakes, alienating Brazil’s da Silva, etc. “For Venezuela, as Distaste for U.S. Grows, So Does Trade,” New York Times, August 16, 2006. Despite enmity between governments, trade is growing rapidly, with a $27.6 billion Venezuelan surplus last year, based mainly on being U.S.’s fourth largest source of oil. But U.S. is selling oil-drilling equipment, cars, financial services, etc. “Uruguay at Center of Lively U.S.-Venezuela Chess Game,” New York Times, September 12, 2006. U.S. and Venezuela vie for influence in Uruguay. "Optimism in Latin America," San Jose Mercury News, December 10, 2006. Latinobarometer survey (October 3-November 5) finds that Latin Americans are more optimistic than they have been in years about their futures and the state of their democracies. "Venezuela Spending on Arms Soars to World's Top Ranks," New York Times, February 25, 2007. "Temperate Zone: Obama and Latin America," by ex-ambassador Robert E. White, in Commonweal, May 22, 2009. Analysis of general positive impact of Obama at Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. Cuba as issue for OAS. July 27, 2010. |
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