The Politics of the Spirit: The Political Implications of Pentecostalized Religion in Costa Rica and Guatemala

by Timothy J. Steigenga

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739101896
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/12/2001
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

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

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface: The Significance of Religion in Political Life
Chapter 2 Introduction: Invasion of the Sects or Heralds of the New Reformation?
Protestants and Politics in Latin America
Chapter 3 Catholics and Protestants in Central America: Understanding Context and Explaining Evangelical Growth
Chapter 4 The Politics of Religious Affiliation: Testing a Model
Chapter 5 Guatemala: From Missionaries to Presidents in Central America's Most Protestant Nation.
Chapter 6 Costa Rica: Religion and Politics in a Context of Democratic Reform
Chapter 7 The Religious Politics of Gender: Orthodoxy, Patriarchy and Machismo.
Chapter 8 Conclusion: The Politics of the Spirit: The Political Implications of Pentecostalized Religion

Editorial 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

This book is carefully researched and offers new insights for both political scientists and scholars of religion. It will make an excellent teaching resource for an advanced level course.

Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review

This is an excellent study.. . Steigenga has produced a thoughtful, complex, and nuanced analysis of a major development in contemporary Central and Latin America.

Journal of Church and State

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.

Latin American Studies - Manuel A. Vasquez

This book is carefully researched and offers new insights for both political scientists and scholars of religion. It will make an excellent teaching resource for an advanced level course.

Sociology Of Religion

This is an excellent study. . . Steigenga has produced a thoughtful, complex, and nuanced analysis of a major development in contemporary Central and Latin America.

Journal of Church & State

This is an excellent study. . . Steigenga has produced a thoughtful, complex, and nuanced analysis of a major development in contemporary Central and Latin America.

Journal Of Church and State

This book is carefully researched and offers new insights for both political scientists and scholars of religion. It will make an excellent teaching resource for an advanced level course.

Sociology of Religion

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, University of Florida

Latin American Studies

Timothy Steigenga's work leads us to the juncture of important future studies. Its provocative and meticulous conclusions, laid out cleanly without rhetorical flourishes or over-reaching analysis, suggest exciting new venues for research in ecumenical political behavior, gender analysis, and in religious behavior in civil society.

American Political Science Review