Burned Temples: A Decade of Tension in the Management of Religious and Worldview Pluralism in Chile, 2013–2023

Abstract

From 2013 to 2023, over 80 Christian temples were burned down in Chile’s southern macro-zone (Biobío, Araucanía, and Los Ríos regions). Religion encompasses not only a private dimension but also a public and communal one, often centered around temples. Consequently, the symbolic, cultural, social, and religious impact of these burnings has been significant amidst the recent transformations and crises Chile has experienced. The State has addressed these events from a unilateral political perspective, disregarding their religious and cultural dimensions, which limits its capacity for understanding and effective response. The religious aspect is not only linked to the burning of temples but also to the motives behind these attacks. The underlying cause of the destruction of public religious infrastructure lies in a clash of worldviews. We argue that this conflict transcends political responses and is rooted in profound differences in worldviews that the State has been unable to address, revealing a severe lack of proposals to resolve what we term “worldview identitarianism.” In this context, the challenge for the Chilean State lies in establishing an institutional framework capable of effectively managing religious plurality, particularly in the southern macro-zone, where incidents like these reflect conflicts rooted in complex symbolic networks. We propose that such acts should not be viewed solely as vandalism or acts of political violence but as expressions of worldview and ethnic struggles. It is therefore urgent to implement an efficient model for managing religious diversity that fosters pluralistic dialogue and promotes mutual understanding and tolerance among differing perspectives. This approach is essential for reconstructing harmonious spaces for public and intercultural coexistence.