The Sociology of Religion in Latin America

With few exceptions only, the last 2 or 3 yrs have shown that religious sociol in Europe has influenced Cath sociol'sts in Latin America. A critique of J. Kibedi's RELIGIOUS SO- CIOLOGY IN LATIN AMERICA (Lumen Vitae, early 1951) follows, showing that actually little has been done. Marxist sociol'sts were in the field, but no research has been produced by U's or Inst's. Polemics are common. Problems of religious observance, ignorance, indifference, etc have been studied by individuals. Analyses of Protestantism and the lack of priests have been published. Parish and other censuses have been utilized, emphasizing pastoral, demographic, geographical and historial factors, not theory. Only Rev. Nicolau Boer of Sao Paulo, has attempted parish studies on a level approximating US standards of scientific method. Several men in Mexico and Columbia are developing the sociol of religion by empirical work. This work is largely influenced by LeBras and Boulard in France. D. N. Barrett.