A Critical Introduction to Religion in the Americas

A Critical Introduction to Religion inthe Americas arguesthat we cannot understand religion in the Americas without understanding itsmarginalized communities. Despite frequently voiced doubts among religiousstudies scholars, it makes the case that theology, and particularly liberationtheology, is still useful, but it must be reframed to attend to the ways inwhich religion is actually experienced on the ground. That is, a liberationtheology that assumes a need to work on behalf of the poor can seem out oftouch with a population experiencing huge Pentecostal and Charismatic growth,where the focus is not on inequality or social action but on individualrelationships with the divine. Bydrawing on a combination of historical and ethnographic sources, this volume providesa basic introduction to the study of religion and theology in the Latino/a,Black, and Latin American contexts, and then shows how theology can be reframedto better speak to the concerns of both religious studies and the real peoplethe theologians' work is meant to represent. Informed bythe dialogue partners explored throughout the text, this volume presents ahemispheric approach to discussing lived religious movements. While notdismissive of liberation theologies, this approach is critical of their pastand offers challenges to their future as well as suggestions for preventingtheir untimely demise. It is clear that the liberation theologies of tomorrowcannot look like the liberation theologies of today.