ABSTRACT
Constructions of relationships between religion and development are dependent on local religious and cultural systems as well as the social and political context. This chapter describes the theoretical debate on religion and development in the context of Bolivia. The presidential election of Evo Morales in 2005 marked a turning point in Bolivian history. For the first time the country appointed a president who identified himself as ‘indigenous’ and part of the majority population. Even though the history of Bolivia is marked by the exclusion and marginalisation of the indigenous peoples, it is also a story of their resistance. The indigenous peoples have never passively accepted the system of marginalisation, although the possibility of resistance has often been limited. The field of religion in Bolivia is marked by the political ‘change process’, global and regional patterns of religion and internal processes in each faith community.
