Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-322) and index.

Foundations. The Aztecs ; The Incas ; The Spaniards ; The encounter ; The Africans ; Conclusion -- The arrival of Christianity. Theological and intellectual struggles ; Efforts at conversion ; The friars ; Faith in the Americas ; Continuation of old ways ; Conclusion -- The shaping of the faith. The institutional church ; Religious orders ; Social control ; Religion in society ; The road less traveled ; Crypto-Judaism ; Conclusion -- Reform movements. Push into the borderlands ; Forces in Europe ; Expulsion of the Jesuits ; Alter the influence ; Rise of liberalism ; Brazil ; Edges of life ; Conclusion -- The church in turmoil. Successful separation ; Struggles with Rome ; Caudillos ; Plowing new fields versus preserving old ones ; Viva Cristo Rey! ; The place of women ; Slave life ; Unique styles ; Conclusion -- The church's new place. Rapid changes ; Off center stage ; Source of strength ; Call to action ; Private Catholicism ; The forgotten ; New faiths ; Conclusion -- Protestant immigration. Antecedents ; New political and economic factors ; The first protestant immigrants ; The Waldensians in Uruguay and Argentina ; German Lutheran immigration ; North American immigrants ; The Mennonites ; Conclusion -- An expanding Protestant presence. The beginnings ; The role of Bible societies ; Missions among the original inhabitants ; Political issues ; Institutional development ; A time of unrest ; Ecumenical beginnings ; Conclusion -- Catholicism after Vatican II. Vatican II ; Discussions on poverty and its causes ; Medellin ; Base ecclesial communities ; Liberation theology ; Political polarization and violence ; Resistance and opposition to liberation theology and the CEBs ; The piety of the people ; Conclusion -- Pentecostalism and autochthonous movements. Chile ; Brazil ; Mexico ; The charismatic movement in other denominations ; Heterodox or questionable movements ; Conclusion -- By way of conclusion. Final overview ; Challenges ; Impact.

"From the arrival of the conquistadores in the fifteenth century to the spread of the Pentecostal movement today, Christianity has molded, coerced, refashioned, and enriched Latin America. Likewise, Christianity has been changed, challenged, and renewed as it crossed the Atlantic. These changes now affect its practice and understanding, not only in South and Central America and the Caribbean, but also--through immigration and global communication--around the world. Focusing on this mutually constitutive relationship, Christianity in Latin America presents the important encounters between people, ideas, and events of this large, heterogeneous subject. In doing so, it takes readers on a fascinating journey of explorers, missionaries, farmers, mystics, charlatans, evangelists, dictators, and martyrs. This book offers an accessible and engaging review of the history of Christianity in Latin America with a widely ecumenical focus to foster understanding of the various forces shaping both Christianity and the region."--p. [4] of cover.