PapersFlow Research Brief
Religion and Society in Latin America
Research Guide
What is Religion and Society in Latin America?
Religion and Society in Latin America is the study of the interplay between religious institutions, beliefs, and practices and social and political structures across Latin American countries, particularly examining Pentecostalism, Catholicism, secularization, and their effects on public policy and gender issues.
This field encompasses 61,238 works focused on religion's role in politics, with emphasis on Brazil and Latin America. Key areas include the rise of Pentecostalism, conservative activism, gender ideology, and religious influence on public policy. Religious diversity and its impact on social issues are central themes, alongside the dynamics of institutions like Catholicism in political landscapes.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Pentecostalism in Brazilian Politics
This sub-topic analyzes the electoral rise of Pentecostal leaders, church mobilization, and policy influence in Brazil. Researchers use surveys and case studies of neopentecostal groups.
Catholicism and Secularization in Latin America
Research tracks declining Catholic dominance, liberation theology's legacy, and responses to Protestant growth. Longitudinal data and ethnographies inform trends.
Religion and Gender Ideology Debates
Focused on religious opposition to feminism, LGBTQ rights, and family policies in Brazil and region. Discourse analysis examines activism and public spheres.
Religious Pluralism in Latin America
This area studies coexistence of Catholicism, Protestantism, Afro-religions, and indigenous faiths amid diversification. Surveys map pluralism's social impacts.
Conservative Religious Activism
Investigates evangelical and Catholic campaigns on abortion, education, and bioethics in public policy. Network analysis traces lobbying.
Why It Matters
Religion shapes public policy on family, gender, and social issues in Latin America, as shown in transitions from authoritarian regimes where women's movements influenced democracy in Brazil (Alvarez, 1991). Conservative religious activism, including Pentecostalism, affects gender ideology debates, evident in policy decisions on abortion and divorce across Argentina, Brazil, and Chile (Htun, 2003). Mariano (1999) documents neopentecostal growth in Brazil, influencing social conservatism and political mobilization with 618 citations highlighting its societal reach.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
'Neopentecostais : sociologia do novo pentecostalismo no Brasil' by Mariano (1999), as it provides a foundational sociological analysis of Pentecostalism's rise in Brazil, central to the field's focus on religion-politics interplay.
Key Papers Explained
Mariano (1999) 'Neopentecostais : sociologia do novo pentecostalismo no Brasil' establishes the sociology of new Pentecostalism (618 citations), which Htun (2003) 'Sex and the State' builds on by linking religious conservatism to state policies on gender in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile (444 citations). Alvarez (1991) 'Engendering democracy in Brazil: women's movements in transition politics' connects these to women's activism against authoritarianism (666 citations), while Moreira‐Almeida et al. (2006) 'Religiousness and mental health: a review' adds mental health dimensions from a Brazilian perspective (622 citations). Lugones (2003) 'Pilgrimages/Peregrinajes: Theorizing Coalition Against Multiple Oppressions' theorizes coalitions intersecting religion and oppressions (896 citations).
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research emphasizes Pentecostalism's political mobilization and gender policy battles, with no recent preprints or news in the last 12 months indicating steady focus on established dynamics like those in Mariano (1999) and Htun (2003).
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilgrimages/Peregrinajes: Theorizing Coalition Against Multipl... | 2003 | — | 896 | ✕ |
| 2 | Engendering democracy in Brazil: women's movements in transiti... | 1991 | Choice Reviews Online | 666 | ✕ |
| 3 | Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or B... | 2008 | International Migratio... | 652 | ✕ |
| 4 | Religiousness and mental health: a review | 2006 | Brazilian Journal of P... | 622 | ✓ |
| 5 | Neopentecostais : sociologia do novo pentecostalismo no Brasil | 1999 | Edições Loyola eBooks | 618 | ✕ |
| 6 | Para uma sociologia das ausências e uma sociologia das emergên... | 2002 | Revista crítica de ci... | 513 | ✓ |
| 7 | The Sacred Self: A Cultural Phenomenology of Charismatic Healing | 1995 | Journal for the Scient... | 507 | ✕ |
| 8 | Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination ... | 2017 | Journal of Psychopharm... | 502 | ✓ |
| 9 | Sex and the State | 2003 | Cambridge University P... | 444 | ✕ |
| 10 | The Contribution of Religion to Volunteer Work | 1995 | Sociology of Religion | 358 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of Pentecostalism in Brazilian society?
Neopentecostalism in Brazil involves new Pentecostal movements that integrate social, theological, and political dimensions. Mariano (1999) in 'Neopentecostais : sociologia do novo pentecostalismo no Brasil' analyzes their expansion and impact on public life. These groups emphasize combating evil forces and shape conservative activism.
How does religion influence gender policy in Latin America?
State policies on abortion, divorce, and family in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile reflect religious influences during democratic and authoritarian shifts. Htun (2003) in 'Sex and the State' examines how these transitions confronted policy challenges tied to religious views. Women's movements played key roles in Brazil's transition politics (Alvarez, 1991).
What links religion and mental health in Latin America?
Religiosity correlates with mental health outcomes, as reviewed in Brazilian studies. Moreira‐Almeida et al. (2006) in 'Religiousness and mental health: a review' synthesize evidence showing religion's varied impacts. The review covers systematic findings from larger analyses.
How do religious movements contribute to social activism?
Coalitions against oppressions often involve religious elements in Latin American contexts. Lugones (2003) in 'Pilgrimages/Peregrinajes: Theorizing Coalition Against Multiple Oppressions' theorizes intersections of religion with gender and politics. This framework applies to movements in Brazil and beyond.
What is the current state of religious pluralism in Latin America?
Religious pluralism features Catholicism alongside rising Pentecostalism and secularization trends. The field tracks these dynamics through 61,238 papers, focusing on Brazil's political sphere. Santos (2002) in 'Para uma sociologia das ausências e uma sociologia das emergências' proposes methods to study emerging religious forms.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do neopentecostal networks sustain growth amid secularization in Brazil?
- ? In what ways do Catholic and Pentecostal groups differ in influencing gender ideology policies?
- ? What mechanisms link religious healing practices to political conservatism in Latin America?
- ? How does religious diversity affect immigrant inclusion in Latin American societies?
- ? To what extent do religious beliefs drive volunteerism in addressing community problems?
Recent Trends
The field holds at 61,238 works with no specified 5-year growth rate, maintaining emphasis on Pentecostalism and politics in Brazil per Mariano.
1999No preprints or news coverage in the last 6-12 months suggests stable research patterns without new surges.
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