ABSTRACT
Like other “regional landscapes” chapters, this one presents the religious landscape of a particular part of the world, in this case Central and South America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. I do not attempt here to provide a comprehensive survey of either the history or contemporary situation of Latin American religion, tasks which are the subject of several other scholarly books (see Lynch 2012; Gonzalez and Gonzalez 2007; Peterson and Vasquez 2008). Instead, I concentrate on the religious ideas, histories, movements, practices, and institutions that are most important for the study of religion and ecology. I do not assume any familiarity with Latin American religion, so this chapter will be of primary interest to scholars and students who wish to understand the basic contours of religion in the region. However, I hope it will also prove helpful for Latin Americanists who have not paid special attention to the intersection of religion and environmentalism. By highlighting the distinctive features of this interaction in Latin America, the chapter contributes to the larger comparative context developed by this book and its aim of providing a global perspective on both the study of religion and ecology and the role of religion in environmental movements.
