Paradoxical Reformations in Latin America: Catholics, Evangelicals, and the Crisis of Democracy

Presented by: Raúl E. Zegarra, Ph.D.
Winner of the 2023 New Scholar Essay Prize for Catholic Studies in the Americas
The current political crisis in Latin America suggests that important groups of Evangelical and Catholic Christians may be faltering in their ability to successfully promote the basic ideals of Christianity and democracy. This talk focuses on the crisis of democracy in Peru, where both Evangelicals and Catholics seem to have lost the vision and leverage they once had to effect positive change. In the end, historical examples of effective public democratic action on the part of both Peruvian Evangelicals and Catholics offer a powerful contrast to the broken politics of the present.
Raúl E. Zegarra is the author of four books, multiple book chapters, academic articles, and translations. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and holds advanced degrees in philosophy and theology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and the University of Notre Dame. He currently teaches at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and is part of the editorial team at the Hispanic Theological Initiative.