Religion, authority, and identity: Intergenerational politics, ethnic resurgence, and respect in Chimborazo, Ecuador

This essay examines the ambivalent interaction between liberation theology and notions of 'respect' among Quichua speakers in highland Ecuador. It foc uses an three ways that notions of respect rooted in local history inform a nd transform current Catholic practice and ethnic politics. First, indigeno us Catholic activists and mestizo priests appeal to respect for elders to a rgue for ethnic and religious loyalty. Second, the memory of hacienda-era d iscipline partly underpins current models of community authority and "indig enous law." Finally, many villagers bring expectations shaped by hacienda p rayer meetings to the Bible reflection that liberation theology promotes. T his complex interaction contributes to local redefinitions of modernity.