Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 4-24-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Croft Institute for International Studies
First Advisor
Kenneth Alarcón Negy
Second Advisor
Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez
Third Advisor
Ian Gowan
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis explores the shifting religious landscape of the Spanish-speaking Catholic world through the lens of Protestant growth, particularly Pentecostal and Evangelical movements. Beginning with a historical account of Spain’s Catholic hegemony and its colonial export of Catholicism to Latin America, the study traces how Latin America’s religious identity has gradually diverged from its Spanish roots. Over the past half-century, Protestantism has grown rapidly across Latin America, challenging Catholic dominance and reshaping the region’s spiritual and social fabric.
The thesis then turns back to Spain, where rising immigration from Latin America and changing cultural dynamics have facilitated the reintroduction of Protestantism into a historically resistant society, where now, the resistance not only comes from Catholics, but from atheists and secularizing generations. Drawing on firsthand accounts, sociological data, and historical analysis, the thesis argues that this religious shift is not merely theological but emblematic of deeper changes in identity, community, and global religious authority. Ultimately, it contends that the traditional Catholic stronghold spanning the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America is fragmenting, giving rise to a more pluralistic and dynamic religious future.
Recommended Citation
Mitchell, Jackson B., "A Tale of Two Faiths: Contemporary Protestantism in the Spanish-Speaking Catholic World" (2025). Honors Theses. 3270.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3270
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