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Lucia Vazquez-Mendoza

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Location: Colchester, UK

Institution: University of Essex

Contact: E-Mail

PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at University of Essex.

My research studies the religious change in Latin America, in specific the religious conversion of young people to Neo-Pentecostalism in Mexico. Neo-Pentecostalism is a new form of belief and worship which emerged in the 1970s, and which is considered the third wave of the Pentecostal movement. The most interesting aspect of this religion lies in its religious proposal, which presents a modern approach to religion. Its popularity seems to reach nonbelievers, Catholics and Protestants, but especially young people. However, to date we still know little about this religion in Mexico and why young people find Neo-pentecostalism so appealing. Conversion stories have been collected from young members of a Neo-Pentecostal church in Mexico.

This research uses a multifactorial approach to analyse the causes of conversion and to gain a complete overview of the factors influencing conversion to Neo-Pentecostaism. My thesis argues that young people are becoming Neo-Pentecostals because it offers a new forms of religion adapted to their necessities and in conformance with contemporary society.