Thirst, fire and life

a hermeneutic of protestantism through Willis Hoover and Alberto Hurtado

Abstract

Protestantism in Chile has been the subject of increasing research, especially the Pentecostal movement, which is the largest evangelical group in the country. However, the narrative about the origins of the movement has not received the same degree of attention. The truth is that since its beginnings, its tension with other forms of Protestantism has been one of the most important characteristics making its emergence possible. At the same time, the growth of Protestantism in Chile was a challenge for Catholicism due to its capacity for mission work in the popular sectors. Thus, Protestantism became an object of reflection for both Pentecostals and Catholics. This article seeks to reflect comparatively on two relevant accounts referring to Protestantism in Chile, namely, the book History of the Pentecostal Revival in Chile by Pastor Willis Hoover, founder of that movement in the country, and the considerations on the Protestant expansion in Chile by Fr. Alberto Hurtado in his book Is Chile a Catholic country? From a hermeneutical point of view, an attempt will be made to explore the so-called “deep semantics” of these writings to illustrate the way in which they understand Protestantism.