Good News from Latin America: Reflections in Honor of John Stott
This month, we’re excited to feature Good News from Latin America: Reflections in Honor of John Stott, edited by Leader Studies scholar Nelson R. Morales Fredes and published by Langham Publishing in June.[1]
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with J. Daniel Salinas, a Leader Studies scholar and contributor to the book. We talked about his chapter, “Latin American Protestant History,” what he hopes you learn from it, and his thoughts on the future of Latin American theology.
SL: Dr. Salinas, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. What’s the main goal and hope behind this book?
JDS: The idea for this project came about in 2017 when a group of Langham scholars gathered at the Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia in Medellín. We were there to discuss Langham, the legacy of John Stott, and various projects. During an informal meeting, someone mentioned a movement claiming that the gospel had never truly reached Latin America until now, suggesting they were the first to bring it.
This assertion intrigued us, and we decided to dig deeper and analyze the ministry behind it. The ministry’s claim is partly based on theological differences: they are a neo-Calvinist group, while most Latin American Protestants and evangélicosfollow Arminian views. According to them, Arminianism misaligns with the true gospel, leading them to exclude 80% of Latin American evangélicos.
Our book is a response to their claim, offering a broader perspective on the region’s evangelical history and heritage.
SL: Can you tell us a bit about your chapter?
JDS: My chapter offers a response from a historical lens. While it’s true that the Reformation as it was known in the 16thcentury didn’t reach the region, the gospel did arrive in the 19th century. The gospel we received was heavily influenced by the USA revivals and pre-millennial dispensationalism, which the neo-Calvinist group argues is incompatible with the gospel.
I provide a historical overview of the gospel that was received and highlight the strong evangelical presence that has existed in the region. Additionally, it’s important to note that, since the 20th century, Latin American evangélicos and evangélicas have taken the task of developing their own theological perspectives rather than simply adopting foreign theological models.
One of our concerns is that we are experiencing what we hoped wouldn’t happen: an external group coming to Latin America, telling us how we should live the Christian life and what we ought to believe, without understanding our context.
SL: What do you hope readers will take away from your chapter?
JDS: I hope to encourage Christian brothers and sisters –whether in churches or seminaries– to reflect on their faith in the context of their own communities. While learning from others is valuable, it’s crucial to contextualize our faith to our local realities rather than simply replicating models from elsewhere. It is important to seek the latinoamericanización of the gospel. That is, to know that it’s entirely possible to live out the gospel meaningfully in our own context without merely imitating others.
All chapters in the book emphasize this contextual approach.
SL: What are your thoughts on the future of Latin American theology?
JDS: There are reasons for both concern and hope. On the worrying side, there’s the influx of foreign theological proposals that disregard the Latin American context and attempt to impose their understanding of the gospel, which comes from a significantly different reality.
Another troubling trend is the rapid growth of prosperity gospel theologies, with mega-churches exploiting the situation of poverty to take what little money people have. They are the faith scammers of our age. Last month, at a Langham scholars’ meeting in Guatemala, I presented an analysis of this very issue, focusing on two churches in Bogotá.
Other concerns include theological and financial dependency as well as a lack of good examples of political participation among evangélicos.
However, there are positive developments too. Langham scholars are currently working on elaborating elements of a pastoral and missional theology tailored to the Latin American context. We’ve held three conferences –two in Guatemala and one in Costa Rica– and we’re working on publishing those lectures.
And while we’re struggling against an evangelical culture that tends to value as superior what comes from the outside, particularly from the North and Europe, there’s also a significant emergence of Indigenous groups within the evangelical movement, with two or three generations already engaged in self-theologizing within their communities. Additionally, we’re also seeing the Pentecostal movement showing a more relevant contextualization for this time.
So, while there are reasons for concern, there are also reasons to be hopeful about the future.
J. Daniel Salinas is the Associate Director of the Mesa Scholar program at Mesa Global and a professor at the Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia. A recipient of the Leader Studies scholarship, he earned a PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, USA. He is also the author of Taking Up the Mantle: Latin American Evangelical Theology in the 20th Century (Langham Global Library, 2017).
Good News from Latin America: Reflections in Honor of John Stott is available for purchase here.
[1] The edited volume was originally published in Spanish under the title Buenas nuevas desde América Latina: Reflexiones en honor a John Stott by Ediciones Puma in 2021.