Te Deum Cristiano Evangélico: ‘The Evangelical’ in Guatemalan Politics

Abstract

Over the course of less than forty years the percentage of non-Catholics in the Guatemalan population has risen from about 2 to 40 per cent, of whom the great majority are Evangelical Christians (Morales, interview, Guatemala City 31.01.2012; O'Neill 2012; Pew Forum 2006). The physical representations are hard to miss; throughout the country the construction of Evangelical churches is steadily increasing accompanied by painted messages recommending the public to prepare for the coming of the saviour, and that 'Jesus is the lord of Guatemala'. Alongside these physical changes, the so-called transformations can allegedly also be seen in the individual; as people convert, many change lifestyles, friends, and at times even personal economic status.The phenomenon of rapid evangelisation in Guatemala has received broad scholarly attention, much of which serves as an inspiration for this article. However, as the percentage of Evangelical Christians increases, so does the diversity of the members of the category 'Evangelical', complicating the drawing of general conclusions with regard to the impact and effect of Evangelical growth. Perhaps most controversial and most debated in the field, has been the assessments of the impact of this largescale Evangelical conversion on Guatemala's socio-political development, and more specifically, on the processes of democratisation. Hence, today most studies concentrate on Evangelicalism as experienced by individuals and smaller communities.The aim of this article is nonetheless to make the case for analysing the political impact of Evangelicalism at the national level. The findings suggest that in recent years, representatives of Evangelical communities have increased their presence in political spaces such as advisory boards to the President and hearings in Congress. The article explores to what extent this has been a deliberate strategy. As a hypothetical point of departure, the article argues that in national politics 'the Evangelical' can be considered

Mujeres y neocolonialidad en los condominios de lujo de ciudad de Guatemala

“…Los problemas sociales los refieren en términos morales de crisis de valores nunca relacionados con causas ni soluciones estructurales ni políticas (Bjune, 2012). Su culto sin reservas a la acumulación justifica la desigualdad económica, la justicia social no es parte de sus preocupaciones.…”

“…Aquí hay una creciente feligresía evangélica entre las clases medias pujantes incorporadas a las nuevas creencias y modalidades religiosas de los megatemplos -especialmente en su versión evangélica neopentescostal-donde se representan sin modestias (Bjune, 2012y Bull, 2014.…”

“…Alimentan la ideología de la prosperidad en un llamado a disfrutar la riqueza aquí y ahora, exhibiéndola en el vestir, en el gastar, en el consumir, en el triunfar, que serían las nuevas "virtudes teologales" (Rocha, 2012: 11). Funcionan como escuelas gerenciales o de negocios con un alto manejo de la tecnología, de los medios de comunicación: los pastores como Cash Luna o Harold Caballeros son showmen y parte finalmente de iniciativas internacionales (Bjune, 2012).…”