Religious Beliefs and Actors in the Legitimation of Military Dictatorships in the Southern Cone, 1964–1989

Abstract

The military regimes of 1964–1989 in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil implemented a code of legitimacy that appealed to various secular beliefs rooted in civil society at the same time that they fostered a common myth of religious legitimation—that of defending “Western Christian civilization.” It was under this umbrella that military groups and religious actors faced each other and/or established alliances. In this cultural politics, religious actors that had previously been excluded from the power game sought to support and/or be recognized by the state as allies in the construction of a belief in the legitimacy of the dictatorships.

Martians in the favela: religion and revolution in Rio de Janeiro

“…70 During the military dictatorship, Umbanda enjoyed greater public acceptance and official legitimacy, as the political conservatism inherent in its emphasis on individual destiny suited the needs of the military regime, while offering an alternative, along with evangelical Protestantism, to a Catholic Church that was becoming increasingly associated with opponents of the military dictatorship. 71 By participating in an Umbanda ritual on Ipanema Beach, Syrkis was able to temporarily leave behind both his urban surroundings and his fears. 'The cacophonous sound of the sidewalks and avenues remained behind, and one could only hear the rhythmic roar of the surf and the songs of the people in white for Iemanjá, queen of the ocean, mother of the waters and of all life,' he wrote in his memoir.…”

Identity, Incentives, and Religious Defense of Human Rights: Marshall Meyer and the DAIA in Argentina's Dirty War

“…Second, the multi-method approach bridges past work on religion and human rights that has been exclusively case-based and descriptive, such as Carassai (2014), Katz (2011), Ruderer (2015), and Catoggio (2011), with scholarship that is cross-national and explanatory, such as Cingranelli and Kalmick (2019), Cole and Perrier (2020), and Grim and Finke (2007). Through careful elaboration of mechanisms in the case study, combined with a cross-national test of one empirical implication, the research design increases both internal and external validity.…”

“…Catholic figures in support of the armed forces’ campaign of repression included Bishop Manuel Bonamín, who contended the Argentine armed forces would “atone for the country's impurity” by eradicating subversion (Finchelstein 2014:128). Many Protestant and Orthodox Christian leaders became allies of the armed forces (Catoggio 2011:33). Some in the Jewish community stood by, even as plausibly antisemitic violence raged (Feitlowitz 2011).…”

“Ser uno de ellos”: mundo popular, politización sacerdotal y acción política en Chile a fines de la década de 1960

“…Un conjunto renovado de investigaciones referidas al campo de la historia del catolicismo en América Latina ha puesto el foco en las relaciones entre éste y el amplio ámbito de la política, adquiriendo gran visibilidad en este proceso la suma de organizaciones articuladas alrededor de sacerdotes y religiosas en distintos países del continente (Andes y Young, 2016;Campos, 2016;Catoggio, 2011;Donatello, 2010;Fernández, 2016;Jo, 2005;Lida, 2015;Martin, 1992;Pérez, 2016;Ramírez, 2006;Rodrigues et. als, 2015;Zanca, 2020) .…”