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Latino Protestants in America: Growing and Diverse
Latino Protestantism is growing rapidly in the United States. Researchers estimate that by 2030 half of all Latinos in America will be Protestant. This remarkable growth is not just about numbers. The rise of Latino Protestants will impact the changing nature of American politics, economics, and religion. Latino Protestants in America takes readers inside the numbers to highlight the many reasons Latino Protestants are growing as well as the diversity of this group.
The book brings together the best existing scholarship on this group with original research to offer a nuanced picture of Latino Protestants in America, from worship practices to political engagement. The narrative helps readers move beyond misconceptions about Latino religion and offers a window into the diverse ways that religion plays out in real life. Latino Protestants in America is an essential resource for anyone interested in the beliefs and practices of this group, as well as the implications for its growth and areas for further study.
The book brings together the best existing scholarship on this group with original research to offer a nuanced picture of Latino Protestants in America, from worship practices to political engagement. The narrative helps readers move beyond misconceptions about Latino religion and offers a window into the diverse ways that religion plays out in real life. Latino Protestants in America is an essential resource for anyone interested in the beliefs and practices of this group, as well as the implications for its growth and areas for further study.
- GenresReligion
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2017
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February 16, 2018
Having lived in Southern California for a good portion of my life, I am well acquainted with the fact that there is a significant presence of Latino's in the United States. I also know that not all Latinos are Roman Catholics. I once served a congregation that hosted and continues to host a Latino Protestant congregation. I even had the opportunity to preach for them. My sermon was translated into Spanish a few sentences at a time. One thing I noticed is that a goodly number of the congregation understood me without any translation. I also noticed the growing numbers of Latino Disciples congregations in Southern California. Whereas when I was ordained in 1985 there were just a handful of congregations that were Spanish-speaking. Now the largest church in the region is Latino. With the immigration debate consuming significant oxygen in our political discourse, it might be worth our time to consider what it means that the United States has a growing Latino population, which is increasingly Protestant.
This book, written by three sociologists (all Christian) explore the growing presence of Latino Protestants in America. This book is based on ethnographic studies of twenty congregations located in different parts of the country, with funding from the Lilly Endowment. I met Gerardo Marti several years ago at a conference, and was pleased to reconnect the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship annual Symposium. At that conference I had the opportunity to participate in a session with all three authors of this important book. Gerardo Marti, Mark Mulder, and Aida Ramos offer us a deep dive into the diverse faith communities that make up Latino Protestantism. They have chosen to use the word Latino for several reasons. In there conversations they have discovered that most Latino's prefer this to be named Latino over Hispanic, which is more linguistically based. In other words, this is a broader category.
The key here is to move past stereotypes. Not only is it wrong to assume that all Latinos are Catholic, but it is also wrong to assume that all forms of Latino worship are the same. Some fit stereotypes. Others do not. That is, there are Latino Pentecostal churches that are very rigid, quiet, and reserved, whereas others are exuberant in worship. Part of the purpose of the book is to overcome our presuppositions, so that non-Latinos don't force particular forms and expressions on them.
In this book we learn that the Latinos make up the fastest growing demographic in the country. This is based both on immigration and high birth rate. We learn that while about 55% of Latinos are Catholic, that number is dropping quickly, so that before too long there will be as many Protestant Latinos as Catholics. This is due both to conversion and to immigration patterns --- many new immigrants are coming from countries like Guatemala, which has a significant Protestant population.
The book is divided into seven chapters. It starts with defining what it means to be a Latino Protestant, which means that it is more than simply not being Catholic. They have a chapter on the early history of indigenous and immigrant Protestants, then turn to the current situation, noting the cause of conversion, as well as offering demographic background to the subjects. They divide the congregations into three categories -- Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Mainline. There is overlap and difference here. They explore ethnic identity of the churches -- while Mexicans make up the largest source group, there are significant numbers of Protestants from places like Puerto Rico, Central America, and South America.
Chapter five focuses on the "centrality of 'Doing Church.'" That is, church life is very important to Latino Protestant experience. While theologies and practices vary, Latino Protestants are more committed to congregational life than is true among White Protestants or Latino Catholics. At the same time, the way in which congregational life, including worship is practice varies greatly. Part of the reason for this is the felt need for social and spiritual support. It gives a sense of belonging in a culture where they are the minority.
With the debates on immigration drawing our attention both to the presence and spread of Latinos in America. one would be interested in the political and social impact of this growing community. What these researchers find is that there is again great diversity of political interest and engagement. While much has been made of the political implications of this demographic change, immigration isn't the only issue of interest. In fact, Latino Protestants, especially Latino Pentecostals, are very conservative when it comes to social issues. A majority oppose same-sex marriage and abortion, and thus have a lot of political affinity on those issues with conservative white evangelicals. So, while a majority are Democrats, they often share social views with conservative Republicans, which may explain the level of support that Donald Trump received despite his anti-immigrant rhetoric. This chapter on political and social engagement is important reading for anyone wishing to understand the future implications of this growing body of Americans.
We are also treated with an examination of the impact of this growing faith community on Protestantism in general. Latinos tend to be more engaged and committed than their white siblings. Many mainline Protestant denominations see this group as a growth opportunity, but what will that mean for both?
The authors admit that this is only the beginning of a broader study. The implications of their work are extremely important. Again, I come back to the issue of stereotype. As the authors note here and as we discussed at the conference, it is counterproductive to pigeon-hole Latino Protestants. Not all are engaged in regular fiesta, are emotionally expressive, or speak Spanish as their primary language (would you believe that Spanish is not the primary language of the majority of Latino Protestants?).
I can already see the impact on my denomination of the growing presence of Latinos. There is a bifurcation in many ways. The majority of white clergy are relatively liberal on most issues, theologically and politically. This often puts us at odds with our Latino sisters and brothers. What will this mean for the future? More study is needed. The authors are not finished. This might best be called an interim report. While it is not the final report, it is must reading for anyone interested in the future of the church in America.
This book, written by three sociologists (all Christian) explore the growing presence of Latino Protestants in America. This book is based on ethnographic studies of twenty congregations located in different parts of the country, with funding from the Lilly Endowment. I met Gerardo Marti several years ago at a conference, and was pleased to reconnect the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship annual Symposium. At that conference I had the opportunity to participate in a session with all three authors of this important book. Gerardo Marti, Mark Mulder, and Aida Ramos offer us a deep dive into the diverse faith communities that make up Latino Protestantism. They have chosen to use the word Latino for several reasons. In there conversations they have discovered that most Latino's prefer this to be named Latino over Hispanic, which is more linguistically based. In other words, this is a broader category.
The key here is to move past stereotypes. Not only is it wrong to assume that all Latinos are Catholic, but it is also wrong to assume that all forms of Latino worship are the same. Some fit stereotypes. Others do not. That is, there are Latino Pentecostal churches that are very rigid, quiet, and reserved, whereas others are exuberant in worship. Part of the purpose of the book is to overcome our presuppositions, so that non-Latinos don't force particular forms and expressions on them.
In this book we learn that the Latinos make up the fastest growing demographic in the country. This is based both on immigration and high birth rate. We learn that while about 55% of Latinos are Catholic, that number is dropping quickly, so that before too long there will be as many Protestant Latinos as Catholics. This is due both to conversion and to immigration patterns --- many new immigrants are coming from countries like Guatemala, which has a significant Protestant population.
The book is divided into seven chapters. It starts with defining what it means to be a Latino Protestant, which means that it is more than simply not being Catholic. They have a chapter on the early history of indigenous and immigrant Protestants, then turn to the current situation, noting the cause of conversion, as well as offering demographic background to the subjects. They divide the congregations into three categories -- Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Mainline. There is overlap and difference here. They explore ethnic identity of the churches -- while Mexicans make up the largest source group, there are significant numbers of Protestants from places like Puerto Rico, Central America, and South America.
Chapter five focuses on the "centrality of 'Doing Church.'" That is, church life is very important to Latino Protestant experience. While theologies and practices vary, Latino Protestants are more committed to congregational life than is true among White Protestants or Latino Catholics. At the same time, the way in which congregational life, including worship is practice varies greatly. Part of the reason for this is the felt need for social and spiritual support. It gives a sense of belonging in a culture where they are the minority.
With the debates on immigration drawing our attention both to the presence and spread of Latinos in America. one would be interested in the political and social impact of this growing community. What these researchers find is that there is again great diversity of political interest and engagement. While much has been made of the political implications of this demographic change, immigration isn't the only issue of interest. In fact, Latino Protestants, especially Latino Pentecostals, are very conservative when it comes to social issues. A majority oppose same-sex marriage and abortion, and thus have a lot of political affinity on those issues with conservative white evangelicals. So, while a majority are Democrats, they often share social views with conservative Republicans, which may explain the level of support that Donald Trump received despite his anti-immigrant rhetoric. This chapter on political and social engagement is important reading for anyone wishing to understand the future implications of this growing body of Americans.
We are also treated with an examination of the impact of this growing faith community on Protestantism in general. Latinos tend to be more engaged and committed than their white siblings. Many mainline Protestant denominations see this group as a growth opportunity, but what will that mean for both?
The authors admit that this is only the beginning of a broader study. The implications of their work are extremely important. Again, I come back to the issue of stereotype. As the authors note here and as we discussed at the conference, it is counterproductive to pigeon-hole Latino Protestants. Not all are engaged in regular fiesta, are emotionally expressive, or speak Spanish as their primary language (would you believe that Spanish is not the primary language of the majority of Latino Protestants?).
I can already see the impact on my denomination of the growing presence of Latinos. There is a bifurcation in many ways. The majority of white clergy are relatively liberal on most issues, theologically and politically. This often puts us at odds with our Latino sisters and brothers. What will this mean for the future? More study is needed. The authors are not finished. This might best be called an interim report. While it is not the final report, it is must reading for anyone interested in the future of the church in America.
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April 16, 2024This is a great book though a bit outdated on Hispanic demographics (up to 2016 or 2017 when book was published. Much has changed since then) but this is understandable, but it is totally worth reading. It is based on a qualitative study of 20 or so Protestant churches of various denominations. It gives an overview of the characteristics of Latino Protestants in the United States and how they are different compared to Catholic and Hispanics in general. They content that not much research has been done on this particular demographic which is growing and expected to grow. Much of the attention nowadays is on Latinos in general, especially politically but not on how Protestants are growing and diverse. They assert that there is a lot of research that needs to be done and give a list of questions that need to be explored. One aspect of interest to me that they mention but hasn't been studied is Protestants within an American English-speaking church. This is what I have been doing for the last 9 years and there is not much available in how to integrate Hispanics into the English-speaking churches. In the years to come, it will be more common, and churches will have to learn to adapt, and Latinos will also adapt, as the authors assert. They will bring "Latinidad" to the churches. These Hispanics will not express their culture "native to their ancestral cultures" but will be a blend of both cultures. I believe this will be a demographic that will the growing force of the Latino Protestants in America. It is coming.
Here are the chapter titles with some of my annotations:
1. Latino Protestants are More Than "Not Catholic". There is more to it. They are redefining themselves.
2. The Early History of Indigenous and Immigrant Latino Protestants. This is very fascinating because it deals with Protestants during this time not just history.
3. The Latino Reformation Today. It deals with why Latinos are leaving the Catholic Church and how they are joining Protestant churches. Protestants also are more likely to move up in economic status.
4. Ethnic Identity and Varieties of Latino Protestant Churches. Protestant churches are very different, there many denominations. Charismatic or Pentecostals are the fastest growing.
5. The Centrality of "Doing Church" among Latino Protestants. Latinos don't worship all the same, having a big fiesta. This is a wrong assumption. Many of them are becoming more "mainstream" (my words). They enjoy much of the current worship and not necessarily need to be in a liturgical church (the authors say this can be confusing). Protestants (not part of mainline denominations) attend church more often than Catholics or mainline Protestants.
6. Latino Protestants and Their Political Engagement. Latinos are not all Democrats but most are but they hold traditional values. It is kind of paradoxical. My opinion is that they are more driven by their "existential" status more than their convictions. I believe this will change though. They believe (62%) that they should be engaged in political issues.
7. Latino Protestants and the Future of American Christianity. The authors ask questions that need to be researched and answered.
I read this book as part of a 4-hour presentation that I will be doing on reaching Hispanics.
Here are the chapter titles with some of my annotations:
1. Latino Protestants are More Than "Not Catholic". There is more to it. They are redefining themselves.
2. The Early History of Indigenous and Immigrant Latino Protestants. This is very fascinating because it deals with Protestants during this time not just history.
3. The Latino Reformation Today. It deals with why Latinos are leaving the Catholic Church and how they are joining Protestant churches. Protestants also are more likely to move up in economic status.
4. Ethnic Identity and Varieties of Latino Protestant Churches. Protestant churches are very different, there many denominations. Charismatic or Pentecostals are the fastest growing.
5. The Centrality of "Doing Church" among Latino Protestants. Latinos don't worship all the same, having a big fiesta. This is a wrong assumption. Many of them are becoming more "mainstream" (my words). They enjoy much of the current worship and not necessarily need to be in a liturgical church (the authors say this can be confusing). Protestants (not part of mainline denominations) attend church more often than Catholics or mainline Protestants.
6. Latino Protestants and Their Political Engagement. Latinos are not all Democrats but most are but they hold traditional values. It is kind of paradoxical. My opinion is that they are more driven by their "existential" status more than their convictions. I believe this will change though. They believe (62%) that they should be engaged in political issues.
7. Latino Protestants and the Future of American Christianity. The authors ask questions that need to be researched and answered.
I read this book as part of a 4-hour presentation that I will be doing on reaching Hispanics.
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