Homies and hermanos: God and the gangs in Central America

"Why would a gun-wielding, tattoo-bearing "homie" trade in la vida loca for a Bible and the buttoned-down lifestyle of an evangelical hermano (brother in Christ)? To answer this question, Robert Brenneman interviewed sixty-three former gang members from the "Northern Triangle" of Central America--Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras--most of whom left their gang for evangelicalism. Unlike in the United States, membership in a Central American gang is hasta la morgue. But the most common exception to the "morgue rule" is that of conversion or regular participation in an evangelical church. Do gang members who weary of their dangerous lifestyle simply make a rational choice to opt for evangelical religion? Brenneman finds this is only partly the case, for many others report emotional conversions that came unexpectedly, when they found themselves overwhelmed by a sermon, a conversation, or a prayer service. An extensively researched and gritty account, Homies and Hermanos sheds light on the nature of youth violence, of religious conversion, and of evangelical churches in Central America."--Publisher's description Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction: JJ’s Second Marriage......Page 18 1. From Pandilla to Mara......Page 36 2. “Christian, Not Catholic”......Page 64 3. Turning Shame into Violence......Page 78 4. Dodging the Morgue Rule......Page 132 5. ¡A-Dios, homies!......Page 168 6. Samaritans and Crusaders......Page 204 Conclusion......Page 250 Appendix A: Methods......Page 262 Appendix B: Selected Characteristics of Interviewed Ex-Gang Members......Page 278 Appendix C: A Primer of Gang Vocabulary......Page 282 Notes......Page 286 References......Page 292 C......Page 302 E......Page 303 G......Page 304 L......Page 305 N......Page 306 R......Page 307 T......Page 308 Z......Page 309 Using the tools of sociological theory, Robert Brenneman seeks to discover why a pot-smoking, gun-wielding "homie" gang member would want to trade in la vida loca for a Bible and the buttoned-down lifestyle of an evangelical hermano (brother in Christ) - and to what extent this strategy works for the many youth who have tried it.