ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some aspects of the Evangelical presence in the rural Andes focusing on Quechua-speaking communities of southern Peru—particularly the community of Hapu (Paucartambo, Cuzco)—while making some references to literature on Bolivia and Ecuador. The text discusses patterns of Evangelical conversion in rural communities as well as processes of reconversions to Andean Catholicism. It argues that Evangelicalism offers promises of modernity articulated through a position of moral superiority grounded in a privileged access to unquestionable truths through the Bible that leads believers to refuse alcohol and coca, and to improve their ways of living. Their refusal to consume coca and alcohol can lead to serious challenges for communal life. Different communities manage these tensions through different arrangements and levels of conflict. The chapter ends by elaborating on the importance of the Bible in the emergence of Quechua vernacular literacies as well as on some aspects of Evangelical participation in politics.
