Description
Book SynopsisThe U.S. Catholic Press on Central America traces the remarkable transformation in reports on Central America by popular Catholic periodicals in the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1950s writers for these periodicals vigorously opposed the Arbenz government in Guatemala. Influenced by McCarthyism, secular media coverage, and reports from the archdiocese of Guatemala City, they called on the U.S. government to overthrow the Arbenz regime before its communism infected the Americas. Just fifteen years later, these same writers were lamenting the collapse of the reformist Arbenz government and calling for the U.S. to reassess its policies toward the entire Central American isthmus.
What caused such a dramatic shift? In the first half of his compelling study, Edward T. Brett emphasizes the importance of U.S. missionaries in this evolutionary process. He carefully explains the effect of the murders of Archbishop Romero, the four U.S. churchwomen, and the six Je
Trade Review
"This is a very good book, needed by every Catholic parish, high school, and college library." -- American Catholic Studies, December 2003, Vol. 114 No. 4
"Brett’s book offers a unique, well researched avenue for understanding…religious, political, and social issues…." -- Catholic Historical Review
