Similarities and distinctions in the chilean pentecostal temple. Approaches from the architecture

Abstract

The Pentecostal movement, born in the first decade of the 20th century and today consisting of more than 1,400 denominations throughout the country, is the most important religious event to have occurred in Chile during the last century. With a population of followers of about 13% of the national population, the Pentecostal movement is the second largest religious community in the country after the Roman Catholic Church.

With its explosive population growth, its architectural production is one of its most eloquent strokes. More than 10,000 temples and chapels can be found throughout Chile. Originally arising in the context of precarious resources and innovative and spontaneous liturgy, strongly marked by the architectural thought of the pastor and under the shade of the legacy of global religious architecture, the Pentecostal churches and chapels share similarities and yet are all different; they can be recognized as part of a common type, but each expresses a unique identity.