A new generation of Latino Protestants is poised to transform our religious and political landscapes.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/07/latinos-will-determine-future-american-evangelicalism/619551/
There is an interesting article in the Atlantic about the increasing numbers of evangelical Latinos (for the first time, fewer than 50% of American Latinos identify as Catholic according to Pew).
The Catholic church in the US has been counting on the Latinos to "save" the church, to populate the pews and the schools. The Democrats have been counting on them to shore up their voting base. But - what if both are wrong?
Thoughts?
I guess our church still is Eurocentric. It's a failure on the American church's part.
ReplyDeletePardon my skepticism about an article by a non-Hispanic that attempts to interpretation demographic trends by talking to standard Hispanic media personalities.
ReplyDeleteAs the author acknowledges, Hispanic is an outsider term whereby we lump together a lot of very different people many of whom e.g. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans don’t have much in common other than they are not White
The “Hispanics” here in Lake County are from Mexico, in fact from a particular city in Mexico. They come here to join other people who have migrated from that city. They even have a particular local devotion to Mary as an infant child. Some of them are involved in the Catholic charismatic movement.
As next generations grow up they feel ill at ease both with the culture that came from Mexico (or elsewhere) which limits them very much and American culture with its opportunities. So I suspect “Hispanic” Evangelicals give them an opportunity to try on American culture without abandoning their ancestral culture.
What strikes me about the descriptions of these churches is that they are all money oriented businesses. Many Hispanics are likely impressed by Hispanic Evangelical pastors that they see as succeeding in American. Supporting Republicans and Trump are also likely seen as ways to get ahead.
I guess I see a lot of people being exploited by religious entrepreneurs.
"Pardon my skepticism about an article by a non-Hispanic that attempts to interpretation demographic trends by talking to standard Hispanic media personalities."
DeleteI share your skepticism, Jack.
Our town is about 20% Hispanic (for want of a better term). We don't have any Spanish language mega-churches. What we do have is about a half dozen little store-front churches, with names like "Iglesia Apostolico de Espiritu Santo" or "Templo Evangelico de Poder". I think they tend to be charismatic.
We do have a large Catholic outreach in one of the parishes. There is a well attended Spanish language Sunday Mass. There are a couple of Latino priests,as well as a couple of bilingual Anglo ones. Three of them are Benedictines from a nearby monastery. The people who attend have their own music group which I understand is pretty good. I heard them practice and was impressed.
One thing the Atlantic article said which I would agree with is that they desire spiritual connection and friendship more than politics.
One difference between the small Protestant groups and Catholicism is that it doesn't take eight years of formation to be a pastor. Sometimes there is very little formation. Which is a good news, bad news, situation. I have to think that education is a good thing.
We now have several Hispanic Deacons in the archdiocese, and more in formation.
The Assembly of God denomination has long been involved in Hispanic evangelism. That was even going on when I was growing up.
Of the Latino Catholics, one thing that seems to unite them is devotion to the Blessed Mother, and the rosary.
What we do have is about a half dozen little store-front churches, with names like "Iglesia Apostolico de Espiritu Santo" or "Templo Evangelico de Poder". I think they tend to be charismatic.
DeleteYes that is the image that flashed in my mind when they were talking about thousands of churches.
I'm not sure how relevant the situations in Ohio and Nebraska are as far as the information in this article. There are still more Catholic Latinos/Hispanics than there are protestants, but the majority are no longer Catholic.
ReplyDeleteThe reality that the author is trying to highlight is the evolving changes in the characteristics of the Latino/Hispanic population in the US. Deciding on the basis of a few anecdotes in the story that the new evangelical ministers are in it for the money is irrelevant. The fact that most of their new churches are small is unsurprising. Outside of big denominations, like Baptists, most evangelical churches have very small congregations and often meet in storefronts, or leased gymnasiums in schools or whatever. The point is that the RCC and Democratic parties should be looking at what is happening now, and not at the picture they snapped 15 or 20 years ago.
In only 15 years or so, the religious identity of the Latino population in the US has changed from 68% Catholic in 2006 to 47% Catholic in 2019, according to this Pew study.
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
The 2007 study
https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2007/04/25/changing-faiths-latinos-and-the-transformation-of-american-religion/
"Catholics no longer constitute a majority of the U.S. Hispanic population. In Pew Research Center RDD surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 47% of Hispanics describe themselves as Catholic, down from 57% a decade ago. [and 68% in 2006] Meanwhile, the share of Hispanics who say they are religiously unaffiliated is now 23%, up from 15% in 2009."
So, some are moving to Protestantism and some are becoming "nones" (probably the second and third generations primarily, showing the same trends as their age cohort in general]
A significant percentage of the RCC (50% or more?) is Latino. But the Latinos are moving away from the RCC. This has implications for the future. Those who join evangelical protestantism are also moving towards the GOP. This has implications for the future of the Democratic party.
I believe that a statistically significant number of those leaving for evangelical protestant churches are doing so because of what comes down to liturgy. The liturgies I attended in the Dominican Republic, traveling with the bishop during his annual pastoral visits to the poor villages, would horrify most white American (and European) Catholics. They were far more lively, and it was the first time I witnessed liturgical dance - which took place after the bishop received the gifts and placed them on the altar, and then joined the couple who brought them in a simple dance. The music included local instruments, including a form of bongo drum. It as a far more joy-filled liturgy than any I have ever attended elsewhere (US or Europe), even though the people ranged from poor to incredibly poor.
So, Jim, I think you are on to something abut the euro-centrism. If the Latinos are to be enticed to stay, the liturgy might have to reflect their culture instead of Ratzinger's.
Pew also has a good article on Hispanic v Latino designations.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/15/who-is-hispanic/
Other cultures certainly put us to shame in their ability to adapt their culture to ritual celebration .
ReplyDeleteOn Saturday evening July 17th Betty and I watched the blessing of the Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnam) shrine at the old Crystal Cathedral in Orange County. They have a large Vietnamese population (and an Vietnamese auxiliary bishop).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgeeCCAHi8
It is filled with liturgical dancing. It is also interesting how they blend the Vietnamese music with modern musical accompaniment. Their orchestra has a very Hollywood sound, but I guess they know how to make Vietnamese music work well with contemporary western instruments.
All the research on immigrants whether from Latin America or Asia indicates that they have very strong traditional American values. They have very strong extended family relationships, and a strong work ethic. The hardships they have endured to come to America are very great. They are not looking for handouts or sympathy or preferential treatment.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Republicans should welcome them with open arms. The only reason that some Evangelicals might not welcome them is because many of them are Catholic.
I'm sure the GOP would welcome those who are eligible to vote. They have little sympathy for those from Latin America who are seeking asylum hearings st the border.
ReplyDeleteMy middle son's wife is Vietnamese American. Her parents were boat people who survived their escape from Vietnam. (Somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 " boat people " did not survive .). My d-I- law was born in a refugee camp in Indonesia. Her parents were among the 8% of Viet Namese who were Christian - devout Catholics. They plan to visit the new shrine when they go to their second home in SoCal on the beach. Their permanent home is in NorCal. You are right about their values. They have succeeded in the US, starting with nothing and not knowing English. My d-in- law has 2 masters (one from an Ivy) and a PhD from Cal Berkeley. Yet they still often face discrimination as a minority.
Maybe the Latinos are starting their own evangelical churches because of discrimination in the white evangelical world. It's strongest against blacks, who also mostly attend their own black evangelical churches. The Catholics may continue to lose Latinos if they don't proactively invite their Latino parishioners to help them design more culturally familiar liturgies and guide them on how they can help them feel more at home. My Viet. Namese in laws attend a a parish with Viet Namese priests and the liturgy in Viet Namese. Our son's wedding featured both western culture and Viet Namese culture, including in the nuptial mass, con-celebrated by 3 Viet Namese priests. Before the 5pm wedding mass, in the morning, they also celebrated the marriage with the traditional Viet Namese marriage tea ceremony. It was incredible for we westerners!
God understands all languages and loves all forms of music. Whites in the US need to remind themselves of that!
Nothing new here. This has been going on in Central and Latin America ... and has been reported as such ... for decades now.
ReplyDeleteWay too many Catholic parishes are cold and unwelcoming to an unfamilar face. Mass in these places seems to be "get my Sunday ticket punched and let me get to the important part of Sunday: brunch:"