Protestantism in Bolivia

Last updated
A Pentecostal church in La Paz Pentecostal Church in La Paz in Bolivia.jpg
A Pentecostal church in La Paz

Bolivia has an active Protestant minority of various groups, especially Evangelical Methodists. [1] Other denominations represented in Bolivia included Mennonites. In 1970s Baptist, Seventh-day Adventists, and various Pentecostal denominations gained increasing adherents. [2]

At present, Protestant groups in Bolivia account for somewhere between 16-19% of the population, with most of the demographic concentration being within the poorer Native majority population.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelicalism</span> Protestant Christian movement

Evangelicalism, also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experiences personal conversion; the authority of the Bible as God's revelation to humanity ; and spreading the Christian message. The word evangelical comes from the Greek (euangelion) word for "good news".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregational church</span> Religious denomination

Congregational churches are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian denomination</span> Identifiable Christian body with common characteristics

A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, worship style and sometimes a founder. It is a secular and neutral term, generally used to denote any established Christian church. Unlike a cult or sect, a denomination is usually seen as part of the Christian religious mainstream. Most Christian denominations self-describe themselves as churches, whereas some newer ones tend to interchangeably use the terms churches, assemblies, fellowships, etc. Divisions between one group and another are defined by authority and doctrine; issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, biblical hermeneutics, theology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and papal primacy may separate one denomination from another. Groups of denominations—often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties—are sometimes known as "branches of Christianity". These branches differ in many ways, especially through differences in practices and belief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainline Protestant</span> Older, more establishment Protestant denominations

The mainline Protestant churches are a group of Protestant denominations in the United States and in some cases Protestant denominations in Canada largely of the theologically liberal or theologically progressive persuasion that contrast in history and practice with the largely theologically conservative Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Charismatic, Confessional, Confessing Movement, historically Black church, and Global South Protestant denominations and congregations. Some make a distinction between "mainline" and "oldline", with the former referring only to denominational ties and the latter referring to church lineage, prestige and influence. However, this distinction has largely been lost to history and the terms are now nearly synonymous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Belgium</span>

Religion in Belgium is diversified, with Christianity, in particular, the Catholic Church, representing the largest community, though it has experienced a significant decline since the 1960s. Belgium's policy separates the state from the churches, and freedom of religion of the citizens is guaranteed by the country's constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P'ent'ay</span> Endonym used to refer Protestant denomination in Ethiopia and Eritrea

P'ent'ay is an originally Amharic–Tigrinya language term for Pentecostal Christians. Today, the term refers to all Evangelical Protestant denominations and organisations in Ethiopian and Eritrean societies. Alternative terms include Ethiopian–Eritrean Evangelicalism or the Ethiopian–Eritrean Evangelical Church. Sometimes the denominations and organizations are known as Wenigēlawī.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism by country</span>

There are between 800 million and 1 billion Protestants worldwide, among approximately 2.5 billion Christians. In 2010, a total of more than 800 million included 300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 260 million in the Americas, 140 million in Asia-Pacific region, 100 million in Europe and 2 million in Middle East-North Africa. Protestants account for nearly forty percent of Christians worldwide and more than one tenth of the total human population. Various estimates put the percentage of Protestants in relation to the total number of the world's Christians at 33%, 36%, 36.7%, and 40%, while in relation to the world's population at 11.6% and 13%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quillacollo</span> City & Municipality in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia

Quillacollo is the capital of Quillacollo Province in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. The municipality was established on 14 September 1905 under the Presidency of Ismail Montes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Communion of Reformed Churches</span> Christian organization

The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Calvinist churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Christian communion in the world after the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. This ecumenical Christian body was formed in June 2010 by the union of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Austria</span>

Religion in Austria is predominantly Christianity, adhered to by 68.2% of the country's population according to the 2021 national survey conducted by Statistics Austria. Among Christians, 80.9% were Catholics, 7.2% were Orthodox Christians, 5.6% were Protestants, while the remaining 6.2% were other Christians, belonging to other denominations of the religion or not affiliated to any denomination. In the same census, 8.3% of the Austrians declared that their religion was Islam, 1.2% declared to believe in other non-Christian religions, and 22.4% declared they did not belong to any religion, denomination or religious community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Guatemala</span>

Christianity has dominated Guatemalan society since its Spanish colonial rule, but the nature of Christian practice in the country has changed in recent decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the United States</span>

Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States. Estimates from 2021 suggest that of the entire U.S. population about 63% is Christian. A plurality of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians, though there are also significant numbers of American Roman Catholics and other minority Christian denominations such as Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christians and Oriental Orthodox Christians, and Jehovah's Witnesses. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world and, more specifically, the largest Protestant population in the world, with nearly 210 million Christians and, as of 2021, over 140 million people affiliated with Protestant churches, although other countries have higher percentages of Christians among their populations. The Public Religion Research Institute's "2020 Census of American Religion", carried out between 2014 and 2020, showed that 70% of Americans identified as Christian during this seven-year interval. In a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians. They were 75% in 2015, 70.6% in 2014, 78% in 2012, 81.6% in 2001, and 85% in 1990. About 62% of those polled claim to be members of a church congregation.

Religion in South America has been a major influence on art, culture, philosophy and law. Christianity is the continent's main religion, with Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Sizeable minorities of non-religious people and adherents of other religions are also present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Eritrea</span> Overview of religion in Eritrea

Religion in Eritrea consists of a number of faiths. The two major religions in Eritrea are Christianity and Islam. However, the number of adherents of each faith is subject to debate. Estimates of the Christian share of the population range from 47% and 63%, while estimates of the Muslim share of the population range from 37% to 52%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Venezuela</span>

Christianity is the largest religion in Venezuela, with Roman Catholicism having the most adherents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism</span> Form of Christianity

Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against perceived errors, abuses, and discrepancies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism in the United States</span>

Protestantism is the largest grouping of Christians in the United States, with its combined denominations collectively comprising about 43% of the country's population in 2019. Other estimates suggest that 48.5% of the U.S. population is Protestant. Simultaneously, this corresponds to around 20% of the world's total Protestant population. The U.S. contains the largest Protestant population of any country in the world. Baptists comprise about one-third of American Protestants. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest single Protestant denomination in the U.S., comprising one-tenth of American Protestants. Twelve of the original Thirteen Colonies were Protestant, with only Maryland having a sizable Catholic population due to Lord Baltimore's religious tolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism in Canada</span>

Protestantism in Canada has existed as a major faith in Canada ever since parts of northern Canada were colonized by the English. As of 2001, 29.2% of Canadians identified as Protestant. According to a study by Pew Researchers published in 2013, 27% of Canadians are Protestant. Based on 2011 estimates, Protestant faiths collectively form the third largest religious group in Canada after the largest, Roman Catholicism, and the second largest group, those with no religious affiliation.

References

  1. Canessa, Andrew (April 1998). "Evangelical Protestantism in the Northern Highlands of Bolivia". Studies in World Christianity. 4 (1): 21–40. doi:10.3366/swc.1998.4.1.21. ISSN   1354-9901.
  2. Calestani, Melania (2012-11-06). An Anthropological Journey into Well-Being: Insights from Bolivia. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 42–43. ISBN   978-94-007-5669-4.