ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the religious energies unleashed in Latin America in terms of the creation and transmission over time of social capital. It argues that the gap between empowerment and power can best be understood in terms of the lack of social capital, or to be more precise, of its isolated and incomplete formation. The social capital that undergirds empowerment and makes power possible is best understood as a by-product of more general activities. The new mass clientele for Protestant missionary activity from the 1960s on was created as a result of converging trends in demography, social mobility, and the continuing appeal of religions that stress an intense spiritual life. Judging from the experience of Peru and Guatemala, the social capital being generated by religious change in Latin America has some built-in limitations. The clear and growing gap between empowerment and power throughout Latin America presents a challenge to scholars and activists alike.
