Pluralism and the Churching of Latin America

Reliable data on Protestant and Catholic membership in 18 Latin American nations show that Protestants have recruited a larger percentage of the population in many nations than previously estimated. Analysis of these data shows that, as predicted by the theory of religious economies, the Catholic Ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Latin American politics and society 2012-07, Vol.54 (2), p.35-50
Main Authors: Stark, Rodney, Smith, Buster G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catholic Church
Catholicism
Catholics
Christian missionaries
Church membership
Churches
Cultural economics
Forecasts
Latin America
Membership
Pluralist school
Political economy
Polls
Priests
Protestant churches
Protestantism
Protestants
Religiosity
Religious affiliation
Religious conversion
Religious participation
Religious pluralism
Religious revival
Roman Catholic Church
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Summary:Reliable data on Protestant and Catholic membership in 18 Latin American nations show that Protestants have recruited a larger percentage of the population in many nations than previously estimated. Analysis of these data shows that, as predicted by the theory of religious economies, the Catholic Church has been invigorated by the Protestant challenge: Catholic mass attendance has risen to unprecedented levels, and is highest in nations where Protestants have made the greatest gains.
ISSN:1531-426X
1548-2456
DOI:10.1111/j.1548-2456.2012.00152.x