The government shall be upon their shoulders: The Catholic Church and democratization in Chiapas, Mexico.
Item
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Title
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The government shall be upon their shoulders: The Catholic Church and democratization in Chiapas, Mexico.
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Identifier
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AAI9807931
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identifier
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9807931
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Creator
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Floyd, J. Charlene.
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Contributor
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Adviser: I. L. Markovitz
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Date
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1997
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Political Science, General | Religion, General | Theology | History, Church | History, Latin American
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Abstract
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This study is an examination of the relationship between religion and democratization in the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas. During the period under consideration (1960-1994), the Catholic church in this diocese has experienced a number of significant changes. For example, the catequistas, or lay preachers have developed expanded roles as community/political leaders, creating an arena in which civil society has flourished. These changes have altered the church's role in the social and political arena.;A number of key historical benchmarks are examined in this study, including the violent eviction of 723 campesinos from the Finca Wololchan, the arrest of Padre Joel Padron, the Xi'Nich march for indigenous rights, attempts to oust Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia, the Zapatista uprising and the 1994 presidential election, in order to determine the church's role in the democratization process underway in contemporary southern Mexico.;This study demonstrates that there are at least three qualities--visibility, staying power and theology--which combine to distinguish the church from other social and political actors. The Catholic church in Chiapas has constructed a theological rationale for political participation. The addition of the element of faith has reshaped the terms of the political debate. This can be seen most clearly in attempts to define democracy. Samuel Huntington, like most political scientists, adopts a procedural definition of democracy, focusing on contested, participatory elections. In Chiapas, many of the church leaders combine a procedural definition with a purpose definition of democracy sometimes blending politics with prophecy. They remain committed to the procedure of contested, participatory elections, but cast their pursuit of democracy in much broader terms. Democracy is described as a means to secure "a new heaven and a new earth." This study considers whether these efforts encourage or discourage democratization, concluding that the Catholic church in Chiapas has been influential in the democratization process but that the church's role is necessarily limited. The church can encourage, but it cannot complete the democratization process.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
