More Than Opium

This collection of articles is based on an earlier book in Spanish, entitled Algo mas que opio, which was published in 1991 by DEI in Costa Rica. The present edition appears in response to the accelerated rate of expansion in recent years of the region's Pentecostalism. The editors have updated the original edition with five chapters (three written by Latin American anthropologists) as well as three revised chapters. Two chapters were translated without modification. In this diverse collection, the authors address the expansion of Pentecostalism; the gender dimension; the analysis of discourse and practice; the power dimension; comparisons with similar, competing groups; the urban/rural comparison; and the contribution of Pentecostalism to the resolution of social problems.