Allen 5

Escobar: ""There's a new phenomenon, which is the emergence of new charismatic megachurches, not typical of the Protestant churches of the past," he said. "They have some similarities with the megachurches in the United States, though the strongly charismatic element

makes them different. "These megachurches appeal to some deep-seated aspects of Catholic culture,"Escobar said. "For one thing, they rely on symbols such as blessed water, which classical Protestantism shunned. They also feature a more authoritarian pastoral style and a denial of the priesthood of all believers. "It doesn't care much about history or theology in the classic sense, but it appeals to postmodern attitudes—emotion over reason, the individual over tradition, and so on," Escobar said. "We might say, therefore, that Protestantism will continue to grow in Latin America, but what will grow is not classical Protestantism as we have known it."¹

1J. Allen Jr., 'Evangelical Strength in Latin America is Homegrown', National Catholic Reporter August 25, 2006, 12–13, 13.