Priest Under Fire: "Padre David Rodríguez, the Catholic Church, and El Salvador's Revolutionary Movement"

David Rodriguez, or Padre David as he is known throughout El Salvador, is a diocesan priest who followed the Second Vatican Council's doctrinal mandate to advocate for the poor and oppressed. Along with other progressive clergy committed to liberation theology, Padre David helped drive forward the country's popular movement. In the 1970s, Padre David joined the largest guerilla organization in El Salvador, the FPL (Popular Liberation Forces). At first, he supported the FPL clandestinely, helping to organize Christian Base Communities, autonomous religious groups dedicated to spreading liberationist ideas and to giving the Salvadoran poor a clear understanding of why their lives were so difficult. By the end of the twelve-year civil war, he was head of the FPL's finance committee. He traveled to the United States, Europe, and across Latin America raising funds for the movement and its resulting political party, the FMLN (Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front). In Priest Under Fire , Peter Sánchez tells the story of how one priest joined a movement to help his people and his country. He provides much-needed insight into both the Salvadoran civil war and the Catholic Church-influenced grassroots political movements, showing that they continue to inform Latin America today. A valuable book that goes beyond the specifics of one priests life to provide insight into the Salvadoran civil war.Arthur Leigh Binford, coeditor of Landscapes of Politics, Society, and Community in El Salvador The fascinating story of Father David Rodrguez sheds light on half a century of El Salvadors troubled history and helps to understand the impact of liberation theology.Hctor Lindo-Fuentes, coauthor of Modernizing Minds in El Education Reform and the Cold War, 19601980 Documents Rodriguezs lifean important contribution in and of itselfand shows how religiously grounded leaders like Rodrguez were crucial to the success of revolutionary movements.Anna Peterson, coeditor of Christianity, Social Change, and Globalization in the Americas Snchez challenges fellow specialists by introducing new evidence and placing Father David in the context of social-movement scholarship. Priest Under Fire is an important and engaging contribution.Erik Ching, author of Authoritarian El Politics and the Origins of the Military Regimes, 18801940 David Rodriguez, or Padre David as he is known throughout El Salvador, is a diocesan priest who followed the Second Vatican Councils doctrinal mandate to advocate for the poor and oppressed. In the 1970s, he joined the largest guerilla organization in El Salvador, the FPL (Popular Liberation Forces) and would later be a member of the resulting political party, the FMLN (Farabundo Mart National Liberation Front). Along with other progressive clergy committed to liberation theology, Padre David helped drive forward the countrys popular movement. In Priest Under Fire , Peter Snchez tells the story of how one priest joined a movement to help his people and his country. He provides much-needed insight into both the Salvadoran civil war and the Catholic Churchinfluenced grassroots political movements, showing that they continue to inform Latin America today. A man and questions for all seasons: leaders and ideas in contentious politics -- The training of a traditional priest: "I would like to be a pastor of souls"--The awakening of a priest: "You have ruined the parish!: -- The radicalization of a priest: "You are now "Joaquín"" -- A revolutionary priest: "The "Che" of the Bible" -- A democratic priest: "Padre David has the word" -- One priest's quest for the promised land: ""El Chele" David has always been a leader A man and questions for all seasons: leaders and ideas in contentious politics The training of a traditional priest: "I would like to be a pastor of souls" The awakening of a priest: "You have ruined the parish!: The radicalization of a priest: "You are now "Joaquín"" A revolutionary priest: "The "Che" of the Bible" A democratic priest: "Padre David has the word" One priest's quest for the promised land: ""El Chele" David has always been a leader." Through interviews with David Rodriguez and a good helping of critical historical context, Sanchez illustrates the extent to which some religious leaders played pivotal roles in the popular movement of El Salvador's political crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.