Diversity Among Latinx Evangelicals

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Written By Open Plaza

Matt Reis and Dr. Ryan R. Gladwin offer a profile

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Streams of Latin American Protestant Theology (Brill, 2020) by Dr. Ryan R. Gladwin examines the Protestant theological streams—Liberal, Evangelical, and Pentecostal—in Latin America. In this episode of OP Talks, Dr. Gladwin discusses the book with his former student Matheus Reis, who researches and writes about the Brazilian diaspora. They also focus part of their conversation on the current political landscape in Brazil and Florida, exploring the deepening divide between progressive and neo-conservatives, and how this division translates on the ground. As Dr. Gladwin points out:

“In the last election, Trump carried Florida, and part of that was that he was able to perform a lot better among the Latino community. That was a surprise to a lot of people outside of Florida…I didn't find it so much of a surprise [because], a lot of times, the South Florida Latino communities are misunderstood. It's quite diverse, and you go down to Miami, and there's a little of everything…As you know, Miami is often correctly called the northernmost city in Latin America…it's a very diverse Latino community.”

READ MORE

Gladwin, Ryan R. “Why I like the quiet peace of Mennonites and loud liberation of Pentecostals: The Transformative Possibility of Mennocostal Ethics and Praxis.” Mennocostals: Pentecostal and Mennonite Stories of Convergence, Eds. Marty Mittelstadt and Brian Pipkin (Pickwick, 2020).

Reis, Matt. “But what about me? BLM and Christianity.” Centre for the Study of World Christianity, School of Divinity, The University of Edinburgh, 20 June 2020.

 
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Ryan Gladwin

Dr. Ryan Gladwin is an Associate Professor of Ministry and Theology at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Palm Beach County, Florida, of which he is a second-generation native. He is in charge of the Christian social ministry concentration and minor, and teaches a variety of classes in Christian social ministry, theology, ethics, and cross-cultural studies. His research interests are social ethics, Latin American and Latino/a religion and theology, practical theology, Pentecostalism, Anabaptism, and ecclesiology. Formerly, Dr. Gladwin was the program director of Messiah College’s Philadelphia campus and an assistant professor of theology and ethics. He has also lived and worked in pastoral ministry and community development in urban settings throughout the Americas (Santa Marta and Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Londrina, Brazil; Raleigh, NC; Philadelphia, PA; West Palm Beach, FL) and the United Kingdom (Edinburgh, Scotland). Dr. Gladwin is passionate about challenging students and local churches to work for social transformation, peace, and justice. He has published a number of book chapters and is currently reworking his doctoral thesis on Latin American ecclesiology and social ethics for publication. Dr. Gladwin holds a BA in Christian ministries and Spanish from Messiah College, an MDiv from Duke University Divinity School, and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He is married to Natalia, a native of Argentina, and they have two children. Dr. Gladwin is an avid fan of Argentine soccer and enjoys reading, running, and long walks on the beach with his wife and kids.

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Matt Reis

Matheus Reis is a PhD candidate in World Christianity at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. His research investigates the different ways in which Brazilian evangélicos in South Florida understand their identity and mission as an immigrant minority in the US, within their specific diasporic contexts. A native of Brazil who migrated to Florida in his early teenage years, Reis is interested in analyzing the connections and disconnections between areas of identity and concepts of missions amongst Brazilian evangélicos of varied diasporic contexts, and across different generations. Reis also holds a BA in Ministry and an MDiv from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he is currently an Adjunct Professor in Religious Studies. His additional research interests are in Latinx Christianity in the United States; lived religious migrant experiences; religion and migration; the social responsibility of the gospel; misión integral; social justice, law, and Christianity; racial equity; and contextual theology.

 
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