Religion and Politics in Europe and Latin America: Taming Fear and Insecurity

This book presents a comparative interpretation of the socio-emotional histories of Europe and Latin America, offering a novel perspective on the roles of religion and politics in managing collective fear and insecurity in these two regions. Emphasizing the historical fears and insecurities faced by underprivileged sectors of Latin American society, the book draws on cognitive and social sciences to compile political, socioeconomic, and cultural landmarks, identifying continuities and ruptures in European and Latin American histories. The volume highlights Europe’s success and Latin America’s relative failure in crafting political visions capable of taming fear and insecurity. It shows how this largely correlates with how meticulous providentialism (the belief that God governs history) has been supplanted by general providentialism (the belief that God does not intervene in history) in the religious cultures of the two regions. This shift corresponds to the degree of control individuals feel they have over their history and destiny, which typically aligns with their actual social affordances. At the heart of these discussions is the notion that the authenticity of the theoretical foundations of political visions is conditioned by society's view of the divine, which ultimately determines the capacity of these visions’ potential to impact history. Religion and Politics in Europe and Latin America is a useful resource for students and academics interested in Latin American and European history, politics, and culture.