World Christianity from a Latin American Perspective

Dr. Raimundo César Barreto from Brazil teaches World Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. He discusses the recent U.S. bombing of Venezuela and the Donroe Doctrine from the long history of American hegemony of the continent. His work focuses on the study of ecumenism in Latin America, not from the top, but from grassroots movements working together to address land dispossession, labor issues, and mass poverty. He calls this base ecumenism. Base ecumenism has contributed to both Catholic and Protestant ecumenical discussions, making it more contextual and grounded in social justice. His books discuss the development of Latin American Christianity in the 21st century, paying attention to popular religion, indigenous experience, the roles of women, and the growth of Pentecostalism. He says that world Christianity has moved away from a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity to local agency and expressions. The next step is to examine how these local stories are interconnected and mutually influence one another.

Dr. Barreto's books include Engaging Coloniality: The Liberative Story of Christianity in Latin America and Base Ecumenism: Latin American Contributions to Ecumenical Praxis and Theology.