Martyrdom and the politics of religion

By Anna Lisa Peterson

Book Description

In the midst of profound political upheaval and violence, how do ordinary believers find meaning and construct ethical frameworks that guide their actions? Anna Lisa Peterson examines this compelling question through the lens of Salvadoran Catholicism during the turbulent decades of the 1970s and 1980s.

This thoughtful exploration reveals how progressive Catholic communities developed a distinctive theological approach to understanding and responding to the extraordinary destruction surrounding them. Rather than retreating from worldly concerns, these believers crafted religious interpretations that both made sense of the repression they witnessed and provided concrete pathways for resistance and action.

Peterson draws upon extensive fieldwork to illuminate the profound ways that faith communities navigate social crisis. The book demonstrates how theological beliefs, storytelling traditions, and religious reasoning become powerful forces in political mobilization, offering insights that extend far beyond this specific historical moment.

For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality and social justice, this work provides valuable perspective on how religious communities create meaning from suffering and transform that understanding into ethical action. The study offers a nuanced view of how ordinary people construct moral frameworks that sustain them through periods of intense challenge, making it relevant for anyone seeking to understand the role of faith in confronting injustice and creating positive change.