Base Christian communities (also know as base-level ecclesial communities or CEBs) are small groups of Christians, mainly Catholics and mainly in Latin America, that come together for scripture study, prayer, and fellowship. They frequently turn their attention toward social ills and address problems existing within society. The origin of CEBs can be traced to religious developments within the Brazilian Catholic Church in the late 1960s, when a shortage of Brazilian clergy and calls from the Vatican for greater spiritual development among the people led to the development of prayer and education groups led by laypersons. Twenty years later there are over 100,000 CEBs in Brazil alone. Although CEBs have been looked upon favorably by the church hierarchy from their inception, there is some concern that they might become an alternative to institutional Catholicism. CEBs have also been linked to liberation theology, a view of theology that has developed primarily in Latin America over the past 20 years and that rejects the abstract and theoretical nature of theology. The pedagogy of Paulo Freire has also had an important effect on the shaping of CEBs, particularly with his concept of conscientization. CEBs also pose a challenge to adult education in the United States. (MN)