Religious Pluralism and Democratic Politics in Latin America

May 3, 2011
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Berkley Center Third Floor Conference Room Map

Churches and religiously inspired groups in Latin America played a critical role sheltering democracy and democratic ideals during repressive periods, supporting democratic movements, and brokering and nurturing transitions to democracy in the region. In the twenty-first century, this engagement with democracy has extended to include active participation in politics: lobbying governments on issues of public policy, mobilizing opinion, and (for some Pentecostal groups) organizing religiously linked political parties and supporting religious candidates. Daniel Levine presented his current work analyzing these developments, exploring the relationship between religious pluralism and political pluralism, and considering how religious pluralism has been magnified by new ideas in the churches that enhanced the value of democracy as a way of organizing political life.

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