Overview

The Politics of the Spirit is a masterful study of the political effects of evangelical Protestantism in Central America. Timothy Steigenga's thoughtfully crafted work questions whether the spread of Protestantism in Latin America has reinforced authoritarian elements in political culture or deepened nascent democracy. Steigenga provides a thorough review of the literature on religion and politics in Latin America, putting many of the hypotheses generated in this literature to the test through an analysis of comparative survey data and qualitative interviews. Steigenga investigates the impact religious affiliation has on political activity and belief, and the influence of cross-denominational religious beliefs and practices on Latin American life. His comparative work explores how different political systems—the established democracy of Costa Rica and the transitional system of Guatemala—impact the politics of religion. This enlightening interdisciplinary book will appeal to scholars seeking to understand the relationships between religious and political change in Latin America.

Full Product Details

9780739104460

Table of Contents

Reviews

Timothy Steigenga adds important quantitative and comparative dimensions to our knowledge of Protestantism in Latin America without sacrificing a nuanced understanding of religion as a sociopolitical variable gained from earlier work. He stresses the influence of national context often invisible in case studies while also attempting to capture the microlevel aspects of religious belief all too often lost in large surveys. He sheds new light on the complexity of predicting the ways in which the pentecostalization of religious belief will affect Latin American society and politics.--Carol Ann Drogus

Timothy Steigenga adds important quantitative and comparative dimensions to our knowledge of Protestantism in Latin America without sacrificing a nuanced understanding of religion as a sociopolitical variable gained from earlier work. He stresses the influence of national context--often invisible in case studies--while also attempting to capture the microlevel aspects of religious belief all too often lost in large surveys. He sheds new light on the complexity of predicting the ways in which the pentecostalization of religious belief will affect Latin American society and politics.--Carol Ann Drogus

In showing how the link between religion and politics is meditated by multiple factors, The Politics of the Spirit makes a valuable contribution...Beyond providing good accounts of the histroy and current state of Protestantism in Guatemala and Costa Rica, The Politics of the Spirit enriches our theoretical and methodological conversations about the changing face of religion in the Americas.--Manuel A. Vasquez Latin American Studies

Author Information

Timothy J. Steigenga is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available