Citation

Shortell T. Sociol. Relig. 2001; 62(1): 87-103.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Association for the Sociology of Religion)

DOI

10.2307/3712232

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a period of great conflict in El Salvador. It was a remarkable time for the Catholic Church. Like elsewhere in Latin America, the Church had conservative history. With the courageous ministry of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the Church became a key member of the popular movement fighting for social justice. The discourse of the popular church was prophetic. Content coding reveals that the discourse became more concrete, material and active during the Romero's tenure. Prophetic religious discourse represents a heterodox ideological force. Analysis of the rhetorical strategies shows how prophetic religion in El Salvador was related to the political struggle between the oligarchy and the popular movements as the country descended into civil war.