Transforming the Religious Paradigm: A Study of Female Opportunism and Empowerment Through Latin American Evangelicalism

Preface It is safe to say that my Catholic education and socially liberal upbringing were not the most conducive environments for understanding evangelicalism. While the born again experience and the idea of literally interpreting the Bible were relatively familiar concepts, I am not afraid to admit that my understanding of speaking in tongues and faith healing were somewhat biased. My desire to have a more legitimate understanding of Evangelicals has been the driving force of this thesis. After four years of studying Latin America from an international relations and religious studies perspective, it has come to my attention that the stereotypes associated with this religious phenomenon are surprisingly wide-held. While Latin America's religious transformation seems somewhat omnipresent within academia, there seems to be less of an understanding of the individual conditions triggering conversion. In taking a micro-analytical approach to this topic, the thesis challenges many of the stereotypes associated with Evangelicalism in Latin America. Considering the fact that the majority of evangelical converts are women, I thought that narrowing my research on the female conversion experience would provide a unique insight to understanding the entirety of this movement. The hybrid model of this thesis, which combines both the context and individual accounts of conversion, makes clear that evangelicalism is much more than a religious fad. Rather, evangelical conversion offers a type of women's empowerment that resonates what we in the U.S. might see as a type of feminist agency. While there remains a glass ceiling for women in Latin America's religious marketplace, even with these limitations, Evangelicalism offers ii a net gain for many women in search of stronger families, sober husbands, healing, and new leadership opportunities in the church and society. The process of writing this thesis has erased any previous stereotypes and has provided me with a more full understanding of Latin American religious culture. iii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Professor William Ascher. Over the last four years, Bill has not only advised me on several academic decisions but, perhaps more importantly, he has taught me the importance of challenging myself. Bill recognized my initial apprehension in the classroom and has subtly cultivated it into an academic persona I am proud to acknowledge, and for this, I am truly grateful. I credit Profesora Maria Martinez for bringing to life the incredible and captivating world of Latin America. Profesora's irresistible quirkiness created an opportune environment that …