Religion in Transformation: Approaches to the Distinctive Religious Trends in Contemporary Chile

Maureen Neckelmann, autora

International Journal of Latin American Religions

Chile serves as a compelling case study, both within Latin America and on a global scale, for examining processes of religious change. Observing religion in Chile provides a lens to understand the country’s unique path to modernization, reflecting broader trends while providing insights into long-term dynamics. The country combines recognizable features of secularization and pluralism, framed within a distinct cultural, social, and institutional context. Historically almost unanimously Catholic, marked by vibrant popular religiosity that was minimally mediated by institutions, Chile has, in recent decades, consolidated a landscape of religious pluralism. This pluralism is marked not only by the growth of evangelical movements but also by an increasing proportion of individuals who do not identify with any religious affiliation. Importantly, both the Evangelical world and the unaffiliated display significant internal diversity, challenging simplistic categorizations of irreligiosity or straightforward secularization.