Call for Papers: Special Issue on the Political Consequences of the Rise of Protestantism in Latin America

In recent decades, Latin America has undergone a profound transformation in its religious landscape. The rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal churches has reshaped not only religious identities but also political dynamics, public debates, and cultural conflicts across the region. From Mexico to Argentina, evangelical actors have become increasingly visible in electoral politics, legislative arenas, political institutions, public policy debates, social movements, and digital environments.

At the same time, religious actors have played a significant role in contemporary moral and political disputes, especially around issues such as family, gender, sexuality, abortion, education, and religious freedom. In many countries, evangelical organizations and leaders have formed alliances with conservative Catholic groups and political actors, contributing to the emergence of what scholars have described as a new Christian right in Latin America. These dynamics are closely related to broader global processes, including the rise of right-wing populism, the circulation of transnational religious networks, and the intensification of so-called “culture wars”.

Yet the political consequences of the rise of Protestantism in Latin America extend beyond electoral competition and moral conservatism alone. They also involve transformations in the relationship between religion and the state, the growing presence of evangelical actors within political institutions, the influence of religious actors on public policy, disputes over secularism and religious freedom, and changing configurations of religious pluralism across the region. In some contexts, these processes have also been accompanied by new forms of religious intolerance, anti-pluralism, and conflicts over public recognition.

Despite the growing political relevance of evangelical actors in the region, comparative research across Latin American countries remains limited. Most studies continue to focus on national cases, leaving important questions about regional patterns, transnational connections, institutional variation, and shared ideological frameworks insufficiently explored. This special issue seeks to address this gap by bringing together contributions that examine the political consequences of Protestant, and especially evangelical, growth, as well as the intersections between religion, politics, and cultural conflict across Latin America.
We invite submissions that explore the role of evangelical and other Christian actors in contemporary political processes, institutional dynamics, and cultural disputes throughout the region. Contributions may adopt historical, sociological, anthropological, legal, political science, or international relations perspectives, and comparative and transnational approaches are especially welcome.

We particularly encourage submissions grounded in rigorous empirical research and theoretically informed analysis, avoiding reductive, essentialist, or stereotypical representations of religious actors and phenomena, and engaging with the complexity and diversity of religious experiences and political dynamics in the region.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
1. Evangelical growth, religious change, and political dynamics
Evangelical growth and transformations in the religious landscape of Latin America and the reconfiguration of religious pluralism in Latin America
Evangelical actors in electoral politics and strategies
Evangelical actors in political institutions
Religious actors and the making of public policy in Latin America
2. Religion, state, democracy, and political projects
Religious freedom, secularism, and the regulation of religious diversity in comparative perspective
Religion, democracy, and secularism in Latin America
Christian right movements and conservative coalitions
Religious narratives in populist and right-wing political projects
3. Culture, media, conflicts, and transnational dynamics
Religion and cultural wars, including debates on gender, sexuality, and family in Latin America
Pentecostalism, media, and digital politics
Religious intolerance, anti-pluralism, and disputes over public recognition
Transnational evangelical networks and political influence

Guest Editors
João Barros II (Federal University for Latin American Integration - UNILA - Brazil)
Tereza Spyer (Federal University of Ouro Preto / Federal University for Latin American Integration – UNILA - Brazil)
Vinícius do Valle (Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning - CEBRAP - Brazil)

Submission Information
Deadline for full paper submission: February 14, 2027
Revision deadline: June 13, 2027
Expected publication: November 2027 (Autumn issue)
Submission guidelines:
https://politicsandreligionjournal.com/index.php/prj/about/submissions

Contact information: joao.barros@unila.edu.br