Unlike most recent studies of the Catholic Church in Latin America, Philip William's book sets out to analyze the Church in two very dissimilar political contexts - Nicaragua and Costa Rica, focusing especially on the period since Vatican II.;Despite the obvious differences, Williams uses first-hand research to argue that in both cases the Church has responded to social change in a remarkably similar fashion. The efforts of progressive clergy to promote change in both countries has been largely blocked by Church hierarchs, fearful that such change will threaten the Church's influence in society.

Unlike most recent studies of the Catholic Church in Latin America, Philip Williams' book sets out ot analyse the Church in two very dissimilar political contexts - Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Despite the obvious differences, Williams argues that in both cases the Church has responded to social change in a remarkably similar fashion. The efforts of progressive clergy to promote change in both countries has been largely blocked in both hierarchs, fearful that such change will threaten the Church's influence in society. Based on extensive first-hand research, this book is a welcome contribution to the current debate over Central America.

This interdisciplinary volume resulted from a three-year collaborative research project into the ways diverse Protestant and Catholic congregations in the Americas interpret and respond to the changes globalization has wrought. Contributors from the fields of religion, anthropology, political science, and sociology draw on fieldwork in Peru, El Salvador, and the United States to provide their own perspectives on economic globalization, migration, and the increasing religious pluralism in Latin America.

Organized around three central themes -- family, youth, and community; democratization, citizenship, and political participation; and immigration and transnationalism -- the book argues first that, at the local level, religion helps people, especially women and youths, solidify their identities and confront challenges. The essays show religious communities to be both peaceful venues for people to voice their needs and forums for the building of participatory democracies in the Americas. Finally, the contributors look at communities of Peruvians and Salvadorans in the United States. They examine how religion enfranchises poor women, youths, and people displaced by war or economic change and, at the same time, drives social movements that seek to strengthen family and community bonds that have been disrupted by migration and political violence.

Skillfully edited to cohere and complement each other, these essays represent an important contribution to our understanding of the many powerful forces shaping life in the Americas at the dawn of the twenty-first century.