The History of the Catholic Church in Latin America: From Conquest to Revolution and Beyond

by John Frederick Schwaller

One cannot understand Latin America without understanding the history of the Catholic Church in the region. Catholicism has been predominant in Latin America and it has played a definitive role in its development. It helped to spur the conquest of the New World with its emphasis on missions to the indigenous peoples, controlled many aspects of the colonial economy, and played key roles in the struggles for Independence. The History of the Catholic Church in Latin America offers a concise yet far-reaching synthesis of this institution’s role from the earliest contact between the Spanish and native tribes until the modern day, the first such historical overview available in English.John Frederick Schwaller looks broadly at the forces which formed the Church in Latin America and which caused it to develop in the unique manner in which it did. While the Church is often characterized as monolithic, the author carefully showcases its constituent parts—often in tension with one another—as well as its economic function and its role in the political conflicts within the Latin America republics.Organized in a chronological manner, the volume traces the changing dynamics within the Church as it moved from the period of the Reformation up through twentieth century arguments over Liberation Theology, offering a solid framework to approaching the massive literature on the Catholic Church in Latin America. Through his accessible prose, Schwaller offers a set of guideposts to lead the reader through this complex and fascinating history.

Genres: History, Church History

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2011

Reviews

[Sebastián Jaén · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive introduction to the historic role of the Catholic Church in Latin America

This is a very good written book. The topic could be dense and boring but the author makes it interesting and fluid. As an introduction portraying a general picture of the history of the Catholic Church in Latin America, I think is perfect. I was a little bit disappointed because the author doesn't take a more critical approach. Sometimes the book turns boring because in many passages the author just narrates dates, events, and facts without any position or critical analysis. In the end, I think his position is still valid because a critical analysis could deter people from reading it and ignore the influence of such institution.

[Kathyk21]

This was a very readable history. I'm glad I had the opportunity to learn about Spanish and Portuguese conquest and settlement in America. Schwaller explained how traditions like paying for religious services became acceptable. All the way through the book, I kept asking myself, what are we doing now that is similar? What can we learn from this? How does knowing this background change the way I look at missions and the job of missionaries? It is an unsettling history.