Base Ecumenism: A Latin-American Contribution to Ecumenical Praxis and Theology (Shapers of Ecumenical Theology)
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
In this book, Raimundo Barreto examines ecumenical initiatives that have emerged from the people--from “the bases”--in conversation with interchurch ecumenical work. Revisiting grassroots developments in Latin America, such as the Church and Society movement of the 1950s and the Base Christian Communities of the 1970s, this book expands the concept of base ecumenism by engaging independent and Pentecostal communities in a religiously pluralistic Latin America. Barreto compares base ecumenism with similar initiatives in the history of the modern ecumenical movement, arguing that base ecumenism contributes fresh and renewing insights to this era of world Christianity. Paying special attention to the Popular Reading of the Bible movement, Barreto highlights the agency of women, racially minoritized groups, and young people.
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- Examines ecumenical initiatives emerging from grassroots movements alongside interchurch efforts
- Expands the concept of base ecumenism by engaging Pentecostal communities in Latin America
- Highlights the agency of marginalized groups within the Popular Reading of the Bible movement
- Abbreviations
- Shapers of Ecumenical Theology Series
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- 1. A Changing Ecumenism
- 2. The Rise of Latin American Ecumenism
- 3. The Shortcomings of the Liberal Project and the Rise of the Third World
- 4. The Rise of Liberation Christianity among Latin American Protestants
- 5. Toward a World-Oriented Ecumenism
- 6. Catholic Action and the Roots of Base Ecumenism
- 7. Vatican II and the Birth of the Church of the Poor
- 8. CEBs, Medellin, and the Dawn of Liberation Theology
- 9. The Rise of Base Ecumenism
- 10. The Global Impact of Base Ecumenism
- 11. The Globalization of the Third World Project and the Ecumenical Movement
- 12. For an Oikoumenē in Which Many Worlds Coexist
- Bibliography
- Index
Raimundo Barreto’s Base Ecumenism is a monumental achievement: not only a comprehensive and accessible account of Latin American ecumenical contributions by a polyglot historian at the height of his powers, but also a wide-ranging, visionary retelling of the ecumenical movement that provides fresh and compelling insight into its renewed urgency. This essential work not only serves its stated purpose as a thorough account of major ecclesiological, ethical, theological, and epistemological developments out of Latin America over the past century; it also offers a persuasive reorientation to what Christian ecumenism is, where it comes from, and why it should matter in the world today
—Aaron T. Hollander, associate director, Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute, and author of Saint George Liberator: Hagiography and Resistance in the Modern Mediterranean
In studies on the rise and development of the modern ecumenical movement, Latin America has been widely neglected. Thus, Raimundo Barreto’s new book, focusing on Latin American initiatives and their impact on the reshaping of the ecumenical ideal in the course of the twentieth century, fills a painfully felt lacuna. Base Ecumenism, as distinguished from hierarchical organizational structures, is the key term of his analysis, as he pays special attention to lay activities, grassroots initiatives, independent communities, and interfaith coalitions. In doing so, he opens new perspectives also on the formation of the ecumenical movement in other world regions. An urgently needed, fresh approach to our understanding of current global ecumenism.
—Klaus Koschorke, emeritus chair of Early and Global History of Christianity, University of Munich
In this book, Raimundo Barreto reclaims the ecumenical spirit from captivity through an alliance of confessionalist Eurocentric and postcommunist nationalist Orthodox churches. Locating himself in Brazilian “base ecumenism” and diasporic theological discourses in the US, he maps out an alternative history of the ecumenical movement and paves future roads for an intercultural ecumenism beyond the Geneva impasse.
—Volker Küster, author of The Many Faces of Jesus Christ: Intercultural Christology
- Title: Base Ecumenism: Latin American Contributions to Ecumenical Praxis and Theology
- Author: Raimundo C. Barreto
- Series: Shapers of Ecumenical Theology
- Publisher: Fortress Press
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Logos Release Date: 2025
- Pages: 260
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- Subjects: Ecumenical movement › Latin America; Catholic Church › Relations
- ISBNs: 9781506430157, 9781506430140, 1506430155, 1506430147
- Resource ID: LLS:BSCMNSMLCMNCLTH
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2026-01-23T20:36:23Z
Raimundo C. Barreto Jr. is an Associate Professor of World Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 2014. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from Princeton Theological Seminary, an MDiv from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and a bachelor's degree in theology from Seminário Teológico Batista do Norte do Brasil.
Before his academic career, Barreto served as a pastor-missionary in Brazil, the Arabian Peninsula (UAE, Oman), and the United States. He has also held leadership roles in ecumenical organizations, including serving as the Director of the Division on Freedom and Justice at the Baptist World Alliance.
Barreto's scholarly work focuses on the intersection of religion and society in Latin America, ecumenical movements, decolonial thought, and methodologies in the study of world Christianity. He is the author of Protesting Poverty: Protestants, Social Ethics, and the Poor in Brazil (2023) and Base Ecumenism: Latin American Contributions to Ecumenical Praxis and Theology (2025). He is also the editor of World Christianity and Ecological Theologies (2024).
In addition to his publications, Barreto serves as the general editor of the World Christianity and Public Religion series published by Fortress Press and has been a convener of the World Christianity Conference since 2018.
His work contributes significantly to the understanding of global Christianity, particularly in the context of Latin American experiences and perspectives.