Resisting Reagan

The sociologist Christian Smith is well known for coining the term “moralistic therapeutic deism” to describe the beliefs of American teenagers. Initially, though, he focused his research on social movements in Latin America. In this book he examines three loosely related movements – Sanctuary, Witness for Peace, and the Pledge of Resistance – all active in the 1980s, each working towards peace in Central America. What motivated a bunch of U.S. Christians to “resist Reagan”? What were they actually trying to achieve? And did they ultimately succeed? The answers in these pages are illuminating.