The Theology of the People and its Popular Ministry as a Social Movement in Argentina: Grassroots Organizations, Underground Networks, and Popular Mysticism

The Theology of the People emerged after the Second Vatican Council in Argentina. Despite being much less known internationally than Liberation Theology, this distinct and original postconciliar theology has remained vibrant for half a century through a variety of pastoral, social, and artistic initiatives. Following the 2001 crisis, its ideas spread within social movements representing the poor and unemployed, in part through prominent figures, like Jorge Bergoglio. When Pope Francis was elected, in 2013, grassroots organizations linked to the Theology of the People gained increased visibility in the public sphere, giving rise to a local popular mysticism which places the Virgin Mary at its center. My proposal aims to study the emergence and development of the Theology of the People in Argentina by combining analytical categories from the fields of social movements and religious studies, in order understand the diffusion of repertoires of collective action, doctrine, codes and the unique characteristics of popular mysticism among grassroots groups and social movements. Through field work carried out since 2014 until present day I have compiled a database that includes interviews with theologians, leaders, and other members of social movements, observations from different organizations’ meetings and events, participant observations (ethnography) from numerous pilgrimages and protests, theological documents, publications, and photographs. The semester at the Kellogg Institute will allow me to advance in the qualitative analysis of these sources and in writing the first ever academic book on this topic.