Hybridity Is a Key Feature of the Culture in Latin America, Given European Colonization of the Region. Use This Notion to Compare Religion in Mexico and Cuba.
Hybridity is a key feature of the culture in Latin America, given European colonization of the region. Use this notion to compare religion in Mexico and Cuba.
In the current Latin America a variety of religions coexist and Catholicism has dominated this region since the sixteenth century. It has been widely agreed that European colonization of Latin America actually played an essential role in the formation of such a religiously diverse life in this continent. Firstly this essay will revisit the religionary history of the colonial era in Latin America, and then religions in Mexico and Cuba will be specifically compared, and finally the hybridity of religions will be considered. The essay is aimed at providing a general overview and understanding of religions in Cuba and Mexico in the context of history and from the perspective of syncretism.
During the first half of the sixteenth century, military conquest and religious conversion advanced together throughout the Americas. Roman Catholicism was then firstly brought to Latin America by the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, namely two Roman Catholic countries that had not experienced the Protestant Reformation. In the colonial period most of the native peoples in Latin America were converted to Catholicism and this faith remains the most prevalent religion throughout the continent today. It is estimated that the overwhelming majority, approximately 90 percent of all Latin Americans belong to the Catholic Church, while only 10 percent go to church regularly. With about 400 million believers, Latin America has been the largest concentration of Catholics all over the world. Despite this fact, various other religions are also represented in this region. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic was forcibly and often violently imposed with the complete or partial assimilation of many indigenous religious beliefs and practices. The general attitude to indigenous religions, such as Aztec and the Inca systems was one of
In the current Latin America a variety of religions coexist and Catholicism has dominated this region since the sixteenth century. It has been widely agreed that European colonization of Latin America actually played an essential role in the formation of such a religiously diverse life in this continent. Firstly this essay will revisit the religionary history of the colonial era in Latin America, and then religions in Mexico and Cuba will be specifically compared, and finally the hybridity of religions will be considered. The essay is aimed at providing a general overview and understanding of religions in Cuba and Mexico in the context of history and from the perspective of syncretism.
During the first half of the sixteenth century, military conquest and religious conversion advanced together throughout the Americas. Roman Catholicism was then firstly brought to Latin America by the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, namely two Roman Catholic countries that had not experienced the Protestant Reformation. In the colonial period most of the native peoples in Latin America were converted to Catholicism and this faith remains the most prevalent religion throughout the continent today. It is estimated that the overwhelming majority, approximately 90 percent of all Latin Americans belong to the Catholic Church, while only 10 percent go to church regularly. With about 400 million believers, Latin America has been the largest concentration of Catholics all over the world. Despite this fact, various other religions are also represented in this region. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic was forcibly and often violently imposed with the complete or partial assimilation of many indigenous religious beliefs and practices. The general attitude to indigenous religions, such as Aztec and the Inca systems was one of
References: Chasteen, J. (2006) 2nd edn. Born in Blood and Fire, New York: W.W.Norton & Company. Eakin, M. (2007) History of Latin America, New York: Plagrave. Esposito, J., Fasching, D. and Lewis, T. (2002) World Religions Today, New York: Oxford University Press. Gorry, C. (2004) 3rd edn. Cuba, Oakland: Lonely Planet Publications. Kirkwood, B. (2000) History of Mexico, Westport: Greenwood.［Online］Available from〈http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uon/docDetail.action?docID=10017942 〉［22th November 2009］ Luis, W. (2000) Culture and Customs of Cuba, Westport: Greenwood. Noble, J. and Raub, K. (2008) 11th edn. Mexico, Oakland:Lonely Planet Publications Smart, N Standish, P. and Bell, S. (2004) Culture and Customs of Mexico, Westport: Greenwood.