ABSTRACT
There is a growing literature on the nexus between gangs and religion, particularly the relationship between Evangelical churches and the central role of Christian conversion as one of the few exits from gang life. Whether in prison in Rio de Janeiro or on the streets of Tegucigalpa, examples of churches working to evangelize gang members are increasingly common. What is curious about this growing literature is the absence of the Catholic Church, still the largest denomination in most countries. This chapter seeks to explore why the Catholic Church in El Salvador, steeped in a rich tradition of liberation theology and thinking critically about power, violence, and economic exclusion, has struggled to respond to the current crisis of violence. This chapter will revisit major aspects of the debate on violence and peace building within the tradition of liberation theology and discuss them with regard to the contemporary context of gangs in El Salvador. There is still much to research and explore when it comes to the relationship between the Catholic Church and gangs, but this chapter begins to unpack why the Catholic Church has not responded thus far and what ideas can be revisited from past liberationist critiques to help us better understand the current situation of violence. Lastly, the region is facing a crisis of violence, and it will take a holistic approach to address it. Within this approach, there is also a place for a spiritual component, but the key will be in finding how different Christian traditions can work together. The more psycho-social approach to violence prevention and rehabilitation of gang youths pursued by Catholic initiatives is contrasted with the spiritualistic and conversion-based strategy applied by Pentecostal churches, and, finally, a complementary (ecumenical) approach is proposed in order to better exploit the synergies of Christian responses to gang violence in El Salvador.
