Conversion of a Continent

A massive religious transformation has unfolded over the past forty years in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a region where the Catholic Church could once claim a near monopoly of adherents, religious pluralism has fundamentally altered the social and religious landscape. Conversion of a Continent is the first book to systematically bring insights from Latin American authors and case studies into dialogue on the topic of religious conversion. Chapters by Patricia Birman, Alejandro Frigerio, David Smilde, and others draw on various insights from social movement theory to religious studies to analyze both the process of conversion and its impact on national attitudes and activities, gender relations, identity politics, and reverse waves of missions aimed at the immigrant community. Unlike other studies on religious conversion, this volume pays close attention to who converts, under what circumstances, the meaning of conversion to the individual, and how the change affects converts' beliefs and actions. The thematic focus makes this volume important to students and scholars in both religious studies and Latin American studies.