Costa Rican Catholic Church, social justice, and the rights of workers, 1979-1996, The
Book Description
This scholarly exploration reveals the intricate dance between faith and social action in Costa Rica during a pivotal period of the nation's history. Dana Sawchuk uncovers how the Catholic Church navigated competing loyalties between traditional authority and emerging labor movements throughout the 1980s and beyond.
Rather than presenting Costa Rica as the peaceful paradise often portrayed in popular narratives, this work exposes the complex tensions that shaped the country's spiritual and economic landscape. Sawchuk demonstrates how different factions within the Church found themselves supporting opposing sides of labor disputes, with some clergy backing union organizers while others aligned with Costa Rica's distinctive Solidarity movement.
Drawing from extensive interviews, official Church documents, newspaper accounts, and statements from religious leaders, the author constructs a detailed portrait of how Catholic Social Teaching played out in real-world circumstances. This research illuminates the experiences of working people and examines how Church representatives responded to their struggles for economic justice.
For readers interested in understanding how spiritual institutions engage with social transformation, this book offers valuable insights into the relationship between religious conviction and political action. It challenges assumptions about both Costa Rican society and Catholic social doctrine, revealing a Church community largely unknown beyond the country's borders as it grappled with questions of justice, labor rights, and moral responsibility during a time of significant social change.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 270 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore General
- ✓ Explore Labor
- ✓ Explore Social justice
- ✓ Explore Catholic church
- ✓ Explore Church and labor
- ✓ Explore Justice sociale
- ✓ Explore Sociale vraagstuk
- ✓ Explore Conditions de travail
