ABSTRACT
Professor Edward L. Cleary, O.P. was a lifetime observer of religious change in Latin America and in one of his last books he described the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) as the “invisible giant” in the religious landscape of the continent. In this chapter, the author provides a brief introduction to the CCR and a concentrated overview of the extension of the movement in Latin America based on existing literature. He then addresses two central questions. First, the author analyzes the relationship between and mutual influence of church institution and renewal movement. Second, he examines examples of how charismatic practices are contextualized in indigenous popular Catholic milieus. The author approaches these general questions through the local example of the CCR in Guatemala, where he have conducted fieldwork at various times during the last fifteen years. He hence rely on his own empirical material, the analysis of church documents, and the studies of other scholars.
