The Anit-Poverty Dynamic of Religion
Protestants in Guatemala
Anne Motley Hallum
April 1, 1996
THE RAPID RATE OF PROTESTANT Conversion throughout Latin America has become so pervasive it has recently attracted the attention of social scientists. Nowhere is the conversion phenomenon so dramatic as in Guatemala. In fact, the best known work on the subject—David Stoll's IsLatin America Turning Protestant? (1990)—reports that Protestantism in Guatemala is perhaps as high as 30 percent (hard data is simply unavailable). At first, studies about these evangelicals focused on the negative examples of U.S. missionaries who practiced extreme exploitation and manipulation. Now, however, researchers are taking a closer look at the phenomenon of massive Protestant conversions in Latin America and are taking a micro-level approach, seeking to understand the motives of the people themselves. They are recognizing that a movement that numbers in the tens of millions cannot be based solely on manipulation or bribery, but is most often a matter of choice to join a community. Religious bodies that are active and stress equality can be sources for personal empowerment and feelings of efficacy among the poor. They can also instill deep-seated attitudes of caring and responsibility for other members of the family and community. The purpose of this article is to examine research of the movement in order to illustrate the transformative power of Protestantism for people in poverty. The Anti-Poverty Value of Religion The Central American nation of Guatemala has approximately 11 million people, 46 percent of whom are under the age of 15 years. Per capita gross national product is only about $920, and in 1989 the U.N. Human Development Report classified 71 percent of the country's population as living in "absolute poverty." Furthermore, the Guatemalan ...
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