Pentecostals and politics in Argentina : a question of compatibility?
- Stockholm : Institute of Latin Amercian Studies, Stockholm University, 2012
Coinciding with the processes of democratization in Argentina from the early 1980s. Pentecostalism experienced a substantial growth. From a new religious landscape the Pentecostal-Evangelical movement started making claims for religious freedom and equality and approach the political sphere in various ways. However, how the political should be approached has not been obvious. The political had for more than half a century been projected as a place for 'easthly' affairs, corruption and compromise. Furthemore, Pentecostals had chosen, and/or been pushed towards marginalization in a society religiously dominated by the Catholic Church. With new democratic spaces opening up, considerably more adherents and a Catholic Church on the defensive, the Pentecostals had both opportunities and incentives to enter political life. This article sets out to illustrate how Pentecostal political projects need to be compatible with the religious terms in order to get support and votes from the Pentecostal community. Many Pentecostals now find their way into political engagement throught a social commitment based on certain 'interior' and 'exterior' values. The former relate to their understanding of a Pentecostal habitus: honesty, sincerity and trustworthiness. The latter are related to how they conceive of God's natural order: pro-life, anti-homosexuality, and pro-family.