The Church at the Grassroots in Latin America: Perspectives on Thirty Years of Activism

Over the past 30 years the liberationist Catholic Church has had a major impact on Latin American society and culture. This edited volume offers both a careful assessment of the Church's effects on the social, cultural, and political landscape of Latin America, and an analysis of the factors contributing to the liberationist Church's recent marginalization—including the fragmentation of the Left, the fall of authoritarian regimes, and the rise of powerful competitors in the religious marketplace. Moving away from an exclusive focus on leaders, clergy, and institutional elites, the contributors analyze the local, grassroots level and provide detailed empirical accounts of the day-to-day reality of progressive movements within the Church. Case studies from Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua illustrate the Church's impact on politics, labor and land issues, race and gender relations, leadership, and neighborhood organizations.