Stubborn Hope

About this book

"Chronicling over a decade of war, revolution, and social change, Phillip Berryman offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the interplay between religion and politics in Central America. Focusing on Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, Berryman shows how during the 1980s each country became the setting for a profound drama of faith and oppression, revolution and retrenchment." "In Nicaragua, the Sandinista revolution presented an alliance of Christians and Marxists inspired by a common ideal of social change. But with Christians also prominent in the opposition, the ensuing social conflict had a distinctly religious character. In El Salvador, as Christians increasingly opted for the cause of the poor, they found themselves sharing "the same fate as the poor," with priests, nuns, and even an archbishop among the victims of right-wing terror. In Guatemala, a succession of military governments - including one headed by a born-again Christian - resorted to wholesale massacres of the Indian population." "Throughout Stubborn Hope, Berryman highlights the contending religious and social visions that animate and divide the various churches. Particularly significant, however, is the rise of Pentecostal and evangelical churches in Central America with their challenge to the traditional status of the Catholic church. Avoiding superficial explanations, Berryman provides an insightful and sympathetic analysis of the factors that have encouraged the growth in religious pluralism in Central America, and suggests wide-ranging implications for the future." "For over a decade, Central America has challenged North Americans as a Cold War battlefield in the fight against Marxism; for many Christians, it has also served as a call to solidarity and action. For all readers, Stubborn Hope provides an essential review of that history and an opportunity to learn from its lessons."--Jacket.