The war of gods
Subtitle: religion and politics in Latin America
By: Michael Löwy.
Publisher: Verso
Published: 1996
Place of publication: London; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 163
Subjects: Liberation theology; Church and state -- Latin America; Church and social problems -- Latin America; Religion and politics -- Latin America
Description: The War of Gods traces the intimate relationship between religion, politics and social issues in Latin America over the last three decades, as liberation theology has reinterpreted the vocation of the Catholic Church and as Protestantism has made inroads on traditional Catholic strongholds.

In the 1960s liberation theology addressed itself to the problems of a continent racked by poverty and oppression. Comprising a network of localized communities and pastoral organizations, it soon became something much more than a doctrinal current. Liberationist Christianity defined itself in a multitude of social struggles, particularly in Brazil and Central America.

Many of the most momentous events in the continent's recent history - the Nicaraguan revolution, the development of the PT (Workers' Party) in Brazil, the tortuous ascent of President Aristide in Haiti and the uprising in Chiapas - have borne witness to the influence of a distinctive liberationist Christianity. Michael Lowy proposes here a new interpretation - inspired by the sociology of culture - both of liberation theology and of the rival religious projects in Latin America.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-153) and index.