Latin American Religion and Machismo
Cate Smythe
LACS IDL
7/31/10
Essay I. The Spanish brought guns, disease, and exploitation to Latin America, but they also brought God. Catholicism in Latin America has had a bittersweet existence. Its power has historically been hijacked and used to support political, social, and cultural causes, not all of which have been positive. Even though the Spanish used Catholicism as a way to determine the inferiority of the indigenous people of the Americas and to justify the genocide that they incurred, it has amassed an enormous contingency of followers throughout the region, because of both force and the promise of salvation. Catholicism itself has experienced a turbulent past in the region, but manages to maintain a powerful grasp on the 95% of the population that follow it. However, as significant as Catholicism has been in the development of Latin American culture, there exist other religions that are proving to be a challenge to the rigidity of its customs, creating a scenario in which Catholicism has to fight for support for the first time in hundreds of years. Santeria, Yoruba, Umbanda, and Candomblé are all different religions that have roots in Africa and, through syncretic practices, have evolved into a popular and powerful part of Latin American culture. Whereas Catholicism has traditionally required Latin Americans to conform to its specifications, Candomblé, Santeria, Yoruba, and Umbanda have all evolved to fit pre-existing Latin American customs and culture. It hasn’t required that they change, but has changed for them. Because of this phenomenon, the Catholic Church is finally having to accommodate for its followers instead of the other way around in order to maintain its following in the region. This birth of the new idea of “liberation theology” has transformed the role the Catholic Church currently plays in Latin America.
During the Industrial Revolution in Latin America, many countries experienced a huge rural to urban migration. At the time,
LACS IDL
7/31/10
Essay I. The Spanish brought guns, disease, and exploitation to Latin America, but they also brought God. Catholicism in Latin America has had a bittersweet existence. Its power has historically been hijacked and used to support political, social, and cultural causes, not all of which have been positive. Even though the Spanish used Catholicism as a way to determine the inferiority of the indigenous people of the Americas and to justify the genocide that they incurred, it has amassed an enormous contingency of followers throughout the region, because of both force and the promise of salvation. Catholicism itself has experienced a turbulent past in the region, but manages to maintain a powerful grasp on the 95% of the population that follow it. However, as significant as Catholicism has been in the development of Latin American culture, there exist other religions that are proving to be a challenge to the rigidity of its customs, creating a scenario in which Catholicism has to fight for support for the first time in hundreds of years. Santeria, Yoruba, Umbanda, and Candomblé are all different religions that have roots in Africa and, through syncretic practices, have evolved into a popular and powerful part of Latin American culture. Whereas Catholicism has traditionally required Latin Americans to conform to its specifications, Candomblé, Santeria, Yoruba, and Umbanda have all evolved to fit pre-existing Latin American customs and culture. It hasn’t required that they change, but has changed for them. Because of this phenomenon, the Catholic Church is finally having to accommodate for its followers instead of the other way around in order to maintain its following in the region. This birth of the new idea of “liberation theology” has transformed the role the Catholic Church currently plays in Latin America.
During the Industrial Revolution in Latin America, many countries experienced a huge rural to urban migration. At the time,