The Encroachment of Secularism Among Young Ecuadorian Cuencano Mestizos

Abstract

In this dissertation I purpose to identify key indicators of contemporary secularization discovered through literary resources documenting the rise of secularism in Western culture from the Middle Ages to the present day. After identifying these key cultural markers of secularization, I demonstrate that these characteristics are present among the younger generation of Ecuadorian Cuencano mestizos between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. Furthermore, I research the effect that increasing secularization is having upon the lives of younger Cuencanos in comparison to their parents’ generation. These findings are then utilized to propose a missiological paradigm to effectively equip Cuencano Christian leaders to combat the increase in secularism from a biblical worldview within the institutions of the church, the family, and the culture.