Paul Freston: Religion and Politics in Latin America

Paul Freston
Department of Religion and Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

As in many other parts of the world, deprivatized religion has been very active in politics in recent decades in Latin America. But despite similarities, there are also many unique features of this religion-political activity in Latin America. The talk will seek to put the region in global perspective, while also contrasting Catholicism with the region's fast-growing Protestantism.

Paul Freston is the CIGI chair in religion and politics in global context at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and professor in the Department of Religion and Culture at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a distinguished senior fellow and director of the Studies of Religion in Latin America program at the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University. Paul has a special interest in stimulating opportunities for scholars based in the global south, both by supervising theses and directing international research teams.