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6. The Process of Conversion: Antecedent Factors and Results
- University of Texas Press
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CHAPTER SIX The Process of Conversion: Antecedent Factors and Results A great deal has been written about Catholics converting to Protestant evangelism in most Latin American countries: the early work of Willems (1967), Lalive D’Spinay (1969), Boff (1982), and Bastián (1983); the more recent work of Annis (1987), Paloma (1989), Martin (1990), Stoll (1990), and Bowen (1996); and the work on Mexico beginning with Rivera (1961), followed by the work of Bridges (1973), Gaxiola (1984), Garma Navarro (1987), De los Reyes (1990), López Cortés (1990), Zapata Novoa (1990), and many others. These sources discuss explicitly and implicitly, and occasionally analyze in-depth, the causes and forms of conversion. It is not our intention here to review the literature, but rather to analyze the religious, social, and economic variables that have been identified by students of conversion and determine their efficacy and results. Also, we analyze the Catholic reaction and what the Church has done to counter evangelist proselytism. Thus this chapter addresses the following topics: (1) the social and cultural variables of conversion and their interrelationship; (2) economic factors as incentives for conversion; (3) the religious context of conversion and ex post facto rationalization; (4) the social and religious consequences of religious pluralism; (5) local and diocesan Catholic reactions, and reconversion to Catholicism. Conversion and the nature of native and Protestant evange- The Process of Conversion 121 lism differ in the urban and rural environments; the social contexts vary greatly in the city and the countryside, especially in regions where an Indian/Mestizo dichotomy obtains (see Nutini and Isaac 1974:373–396). This is certainly so in central Mexico, and it is probably true in Mesoamerica as a whole. In assessing the form and configuration of the process of conversion , one must specify the local, regional conditions before undertaking this task; otherwise incorrect inferences may ensue concerning the groups most likely to convert. In the following sections we endeavor to pay careful attention to this predicament , as we analyze the process of conversion of Amistad y Vida and La Luz del Mundo in particular, and of native and Protestant sects in general. Social and Cultural Variables and Their Synergetic Effects Social and economic variables are at the heart of conversion to evangelism in most regions of all Latin American countries, and in our opinion this accounts for the phenomenal growth of evangelism during the past two generations. In fact, as early as 1990 there were no countries in the Western Hemisphere where evangelism had not penetrated. The success of evangelism during the past generation is such that in Guatemala nearly 40 percent of the population has been converted, whereas in Chile nearly 20 percent have, and in at least another four countries , including Mexico, it has surpassed 10 percent.1 Specifically, how do social and economic factors affect the process of conversion? Syntagmatically economic factors come first, that is, they guide the first steps toward conversion, but the situation is, of course, more complex. On the one hand, class and ethnic affiliations determine the susceptibility of individuals and groups to conversion. It should be emphasized that while proselytizers present the desirability of conversion in explicitly religious terms, they also imply the practical reasons why Catholics should convert. The techniques of conversion vary from sect to sect, but, with few exceptions, in most [44.202.90.91] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 12:57 GMT) 122 Native Evangelism in Central Mexico of the literature and in what we have observed in central Mexico they exhibit a high degree of similarity. All native and Protestant sects that we have investigated, except Amistad y Vida, stress Catholic misinterpretations of the Gospels, the unnecessary expenditure of resources on the cult of the saints, which they consider idolatry, and the lack of concern of the Church for the welfare of the congregation. We were able to establish that at this stage of the process of conversion, what impresses individuals and groups the most is the economic aspect—relief from the expenses of the cult of the saints—underlain by the doctrinal belief that there is no need of intermediaries to communicate with the deity. This applies only to folk people (Indian and rural Mestizo), however, for in the urban setting the mayordomía (stewardship) system, which is the most expensive component of the cult of the saints, largely disappears. In the urban context, the main factor in conversion is social dissatisfaction with the organization of the...