When do progressive evangelicals mobilize? Intra-denominational competing identities in Chile's constitutional process

Abstract

Over the last decade, and throughout the Americas, evangelicals have strongly mobilized in defense of socially conservative agendas or against so-called “gender ideology,” sparking general and academic interest. Much less is known about progressive evangelicals. Using the unique juncture presented by the constitutional process in Chile, we study the politicization of a progressive evangelical identity and ask when these religious groups mobilize. We argue that intra-denominational competition for evangelical identity has played an important role in progressive evangelical mobilization, and more specifically the wish to differentiate themselves from conservative evangelicals, introduce a distance from the political right, and show the internal diversity of the community. This process occurs in response to an initial (conservative) politicization of religion. Drawing on campaign materials, surveys, and interviews, we provide evidence for this argument highlighting that policy preferences and theological interpretations are core differences among both groups, sparking countermobilization.

Taylor Boas. Evangelicals and Electoral Politics in Latin America. A Kingdom of This World. NewYork: Cambridge University Press, 2023. 315 pages. ISBN: 978-1-009-27507-1. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009275088.

“…Esto es algo que está presente en los casos, por ejemplo, con el cambio en el sistema electoral en Chile en 2017 (169). Más recientemente, el proceso constituyente de 2021 constituyó una oportunidad para que evangélicos más progresistas se organizaran por primera vez, apelando a una motivación latente (el descontento con la politización de evangélicos en torno a agendas conservadoras) (Castillo et al, 2023). Los casos de estudio dejan claro cómo las asambleas constituyentes en particular han sido relevantes -en mayor o menor según el caso-en Brasil, Chile, Colombia y Perú.…”