Religion, social memory, and conflict
Book Description
In the aftermath of profound violence, how do communities rebuild not just their homes, but their hearts and spirits? Sandra Milena Rios Oyola explores this deeply human question through her examination of the Bojayá massacre in Colombia, revealing how faith and memory interweave in the complex journey toward healing.
This compelling study takes readers into the heart of a community grappling with unimaginable loss, where local Catholic Church leaders and survivors' associations work together to transform trauma into hope. Rios demonstrates how religious practices become powerful tools for processing grief, managing overwhelming emotions, and creating pathways toward justice that emerge from the grassroots rather than imposed from above.
Through careful ethnographic research, the author illuminates how acts of remembrance become both political statements and spiritual practices. She shows how communities use memory not simply to preserve the past, but as a living force for resistance against ongoing violence and as a foundation for building sustainable peace.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality and social transformation, this work offers profound insights into how faith communities navigate the tension between forgiveness and justice. It reveals how ordinary people, guided by their spiritual convictions, become agents of change in contexts where traditional peace-building approaches fall short.
The book challenges conventional thinking about reconciliation while honoring the wisdom that emerges from lived experience and deep spiritual practice.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages)
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religious life and customs
- ✓ Explore Religion and politics
- ✓ Cultivate inner peace
- ✓ Explore Social justice
- ✓ Explore Colombia, social conditions
- ✓ Explore Catholic Church
- ✓ Explore South america, religion
- ✓ Explore Social conditions
