The Latin American religious landscape has changed radically over the last 50 years. Pentecostalism is the most dynamic and growing religious sector in Latin America. This field includes the classical (or traditional), free, Indigenous and Neo-Pentecostal denominations and churches, as well as its theological influence on other traditions of Christianity. The Latin American urban landscape has been transformed with the Pentecostal presence, which has converted many cinemas and theatres into the busiest mega-centres of faith in big cities. A diversity of channels is employed: Christian bookstores and media, gospel music and tele-preachers, politicians and Pentecostal influencers flood the networks with their message about the Holy Spirit. Catholic hegemony has expired, giving rise to a Pentecostal presence: in the streets, on social networks, among family and friends, in politics and through cultural production on various levels.

To graph the growth of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, we can observe that at the beginning of the twentieth century, the non-Catholic Christians in Central and South America did not exceed 1% of the total population. By 2014 they had increased to an average of 19% in Latin America, according to Pew Research. Also of note, the population of Brazil, the country with the most Catholics in the world, comprises 50% Catholics and 31% Evangelicals according to research by DataFolha published in December 2019. It is estimated that, in Brazil, Evangelicals, who are mostly Pentecostals, will equal Roman Catholics in number by 2032. A similar scenario occurs in some Central American countries, such as Guatemala and Honduras, where the percentage of Evangelicals is already equal to or greater than that of Catholics, with Pentecostals being the largest part of the Evangelical world in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to Pew Research, more than a third of the current ‘Protestants’ (who in Latin America are mostly Evangelicals or Pentecostals) were raised and baptised Catholic. Pentecostals within the Protestant camp carry out the most proselytising work for the conversion of atheists or Catholics who, as stated in this research, seek a ‘more personal connection with God’. Christianity has changed its face in Latin America as Catholic religious and cultural hegemony has given way to Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism, after more than 100 years in this continent, not only demonstrates growth at the popular level but also great capacity for action in the social, political and cultural spheres.