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- Title
- Analyzing the growth of Protestantism: a case study of Mexico.
- Creator
- Hoogkamp, Amanda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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There are several competing theoretical explanations for why Pentecostal Protestantism is growing rapidly in Latin America including affinities with the indigenous religions of the region, a recent increase in the supply of Pentecostalism due to missionary movements, a reduction in government regulation of religion, social anomie theory, and the pull of economic upward mobility through conversion. This study analyses the growth of Pentecostal Protestantism in the case of Mexico, utilizing...
Show moreThere are several competing theoretical explanations for why Pentecostal Protestantism is growing rapidly in Latin America including affinities with the indigenous religions of the region, a recent increase in the supply of Pentecostalism due to missionary movements, a reduction in government regulation of religion, social anomie theory, and the pull of economic upward mobility through conversion. This study analyses the growth of Pentecostal Protestantism in the case of Mexico, utilizing state by state comparative data measuring these variables. While higher percentages of indigenous residents are correlated significantly with Pentecostal growth, government regulation and supply are less so. Social anomie and economic upward mobility are not conducive to studying in minute detail but on a larger scale seem to serve as broad explanations for Pentecostal growth. Theories explaining Pentecostal growth should be revised to reflect these convergent factors and focus on the reasons for the divergent growth patterns.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325075
- Subject Headings
- Pentacostalism, Protestant churches, Church and state, Evangelicalism, Church history
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The importance of original intent in interpreting the religion clauses of the First Amendment.
- Creator
- Caridad Antolick, Tayra de la, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The current use of the phrase "wall of separation" between church and state as a legal defense for the removal of religious expression (particularly Protestant Christianity), i.e., religious expression, from governmental institutions and the prohibition of the free exercise of individuals working within them goes contrary not only to the original intent of the Founders and the Framers but also to the religious, political, and legal history and traditions of the United States of America. The...
Show moreThe current use of the phrase "wall of separation" between church and state as a legal defense for the removal of religious expression (particularly Protestant Christianity), i.e., religious expression, from governmental institutions and the prohibition of the free exercise of individuals working within them goes contrary not only to the original intent of the Founders and the Framers but also to the religious, political, and legal history and traditions of the United States of America. The abundance of historical evidence reduces the colonial contentions to three: 1) no legal establishment of one sect of Christianity or another religion as the national religion; 2) no legal prohibition against the free exercise of religious conscience of any religions, especially minority ones; 3); and no taxation of the citizenry for the support of a legally preferred religion. The application of these three prongs of the "historical test" will reduce litigation, minimize judicial vacillation, and uphold the principles that precipitated the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2002
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40993
- Subject Headings
- Freedom of speech, Church and state, Religion and politics
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Rethinking religious competition: church-state relations in Catholic- and Islamic- majority authoritarian states.
- Creator
- Chase, Heather., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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In his book Rendering Unto Caesar, Anthony Gill suggests that in countries with repressive authoritarian governments, religious competition plays a crucial role in determining whether the dominant religious institution will support or oppose the regime. Gill's theory, however, assumes that religious institutions are unitary rational actors. While this assumption may be reasonable in Catholic countries of Latin America where Gill based his theory on the hierarchical National Bishops' Councils,...
Show moreIn his book Rendering Unto Caesar, Anthony Gill suggests that in countries with repressive authoritarian governments, religious competition plays a crucial role in determining whether the dominant religious institution will support or oppose the regime. Gill's theory, however, assumes that religious institutions are unitary rational actors. While this assumption may be reasonable in Catholic countries of Latin America where Gill based his theory on the hierarchical National Bishops' Councils, it is not applicable to Sunni Islamic countries of North Africa because of the decentralized Sunni Islamic religious structure. This finding suggests that although religious actors behave rationally in the religious market to maximize the souls for their religion, not all religious actors necessarily view the same religion and its role in the politics of the society in the same manner: in some cases, intra-religious competition is a larger factor in church-state relations than inter-religious competition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334253
- Subject Headings
- Church and state, History, Islam and state, Religion and politics, Religion and politics
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The role of church-state conflict in the growth of religious pluralism in Latin America.
- Creator
- McMillan, Michael., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Since the 1960s Latin America has experienced a religious transformation, with several countries developing significant Protestant populations. These religious changes have influenced the political processes of several Latin American nations, playing a prominent role in elections and the formation of political platforms. Several theories attempt to account for the recent growth in religious pluralism, particularly social anomie theory and religious market models. These theories ignore or...
Show moreSince the 1960s Latin America has experienced a religious transformation, with several countries developing significant Protestant populations. These religious changes have influenced the political processes of several Latin American nations, playing a prominent role in elections and the formation of political platforms. Several theories attempt to account for the recent growth in religious pluralism, particularly social anomie theory and religious market models. These theories ignore or downplay the role of conflict between the state and civil society, especially violent confrontations between the government and the Roman Catholic Church. This study focuses on four case studies with varying amounts of church-state conflict and differing religious pluralistic growth rates: Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, and Southern Mexico. This study finds that church-state conflict serves as a catalyst, and in some cases a useful predictor, of growth in religious pluralism.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77678
- Subject Headings
- Religious pluralism, Latin America, Politics and government, Latin America, Church history, Church and state, History
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Secularism in Latin America?: looking at the effects of social welfare and leftist parties on religiosity.
- Creator
- Pena, Alan Manuel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Researchers sometimes classify religious organizations as rational actors, arguing that religious organizations attempt to minimize costs and maximize membership. Anthony Gill and Erik Lundsgaarde use the rational actor model to explain organized religion's diminished competitiveness and the correlated increase in secularity against governments with high social welfare programs. They conclude that government welfare programs contribute to increased secularity. Survey data indicates that Chile...
Show moreResearchers sometimes classify religious organizations as rational actors, arguing that religious organizations attempt to minimize costs and maximize membership. Anthony Gill and Erik Lundsgaarde use the rational actor model to explain organized religion's diminished competitiveness and the correlated increase in secularity against governments with high social welfare programs. They conclude that government welfare programs contribute to increased secularity. Survey data indicates that Chile, Cuba, and Uruguay have significantly higher proportions of secularity relative to the rest of the region. This thesis tests the hypothesis that increased secularity in Chile, Cuba, and Uruguay is caused not only by Gill and Lundsgaarde's social welfare hypothesis, but also by the historical presence of far left parties in these nations. The ideologies of longstanding far left parties are often anti-religious and may contribute to increased secularity, suggesting that leftist parties may be a predictor of increased secularity in a country. Welfare, as times passes, becomes a stronger predictor of decreased religious behavior.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77682
- Subject Headings
- Religion and politics, Church and state, History, Political parties
- Format
- Document (PDF)