Chilean Pentecostalism: Coming of Age

Comments on the Text by Joanildo Burity: Challenges for Current Times

“…Por otra parte, en aquella década, la particularidad del sistema político chileno, con partidos sólidos y con larga trayectoria histórica, no dejaba espacio para la formación de nuevas referencias políticas que no tenían experiencia ni reconocimiento. Finalmente, los candidatos evangélicos en campañas electorales de todos niveles fracasaron en convencer a la opinión pública chilena de que tenían un amplio proyecto nacional que superase las fronteras confesionales, y actuaban defendiendo sólo sus limitados intereses corporativos (Bastián, 1994(Bastián, , 1997Cleary y Sepúlveda, 1998). Desde la aprobación de la anhelada Ley, el mundo evangélico seguía estando muy dividido, sin líderes generalmente legitimados y, en lo fundamental, sin capacidad de formar un polo, una idea, un proyecto común.…”

Stigmatisation and Ritual: An Analysis of the Stigmatisation of Pentecostalism in Chile

“…For many decades now, it has been the second largest religious group in Chile behind Catholicism and followed at a considerable distance by other religious movements, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons (Corvalán 2009). Furthermore, Pentecostalism has gradually gained a higher degree of visibility and participation in different social spheres, such as education, the media, social welfare, and politics (Cleary and Sepúlveda 1997;Talavera and Beyer 1991;Fediakova 2002aFediakova , 2002bFediakova , 2007Calderón 2008). Paradoxically, the relative success of the movement in religious and social terms has not prevented a phenomenon that has accompanied it since its origins: stigmatisation.…”

“…In this context, Chilean Pentecostalism has proved to be one of the most interesting case studies around the world (Lagos 1982;Ortiz 2009), due to its special characteristics. It was in Chile that the first Pentecostal church in Latin America (1909) was established, following an internal schism in the Methodist Protestant Church and precipitated by a "spiritual revival" of a global nature (Cleary and Sepúlveda 1997). Furthermore, from its beginnings this was an autonomous, native, and popular movement, which mainly took root in deprived social strata, in contrast with the development of the great majority of Protestant churches in the region in the 19th century (D'Espinay [1968(D'Espinay [ ] 2009.…”

“…But what has most attracted the attention of researchers is the sustained rate of growth-one of the most significant rates worldwide-shown by the movement throughout the 20th century (Corvalán 2009, p. 94;Linhardt 2012). In addition, in recent decades, its presence has increased in different spheres of society, and it has become an increasingly relevant social player (Cleary and Sepúlveda 1997;Talavera and Beyer 1991;Fediakova 2002aFediakova , 2002bFediakova , 2007Calderón 2008). However, its relative success has not prevented Pentecostals from continuing to be one of the groups that meet with most discrimination and stigmatisation in Chile today (Mansilla 2007a, p. 58).…”

Political Participation of Pentecostal Minorities in Chile, 1937–1989

“…Some writers (Cleary and Sepúlveda, 1998;Kamsteeg, 1998;Ossa, 1999;J. Sepúlveda, 2003) highlight that there were various religious groups, among them Pentecostals, that opposed the dictatorship-creating religious organizations, supporting those who were politically persecuted and the families of those detained and disappeared, and conducting discussions promoting a return to democracy.…”