Competitive spirits

Oxford University Press

2003

vi, 189 p.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-170) and index.

978-0195161847

Contents: 1. Introduction: the new temples of religious pluralism -- 2. One true faith: four centuries of religious monopoly -- 3. Concerning the market: an anatomy of pentecostal success -- 4. A preferntial option for the spirit: the Catholic charismatic renewal -- 5. Entrepreneurial spirits: religious of the African Diaspora -- 6. Practical consumers: the success of Pneumacentric religion among women -- 7. Conclusion: Ex Uno Plura (Out of one, Many).

R. Andrew Chesnut shows how the development of religious pluralism over the past half-century has radically transformed the "spiritual economy" of Latin America. In order to thrive in this new religious economy, says Chesnut, Latin American spiritual "firms" must develop an attractive product and know how to market it to popular consumers. Three religious groups, he demonstrates, have proven to be the most skilled competitors in the new unregulated religious economy. Protestant Pentecostalism, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and African diaspora religions such as Brazilian Candomble and Haitian Vodou have emerged as the most profitable religious producers. Chesnut explores the general effects of a free market, such as introduction of consumer taste and product specialization, and shows how they have played out in the Latin American context. He notes, for example, that women make up the majority of the religious consumer market, and explores how the three groups have developed to satisfy women's tastes and preferences. Moving beyond the Pentecostal boom and the rise and fall of liberation theology, Chesnut provides a fascinating portrait of the Latin American religious landscape.

Английский