With God on Our Side

Chapter 1 Introduction: Religion and Social Movements

1 Introduction

Religion plays varied, sometimes contradictory public roles. On the one hand, those in power have often harnessed faith to buttress their authority and legitimize the established order. In support of this task, religious leaders have taught respect for authority and acceptance of inequities, and emphasized otherworldly salvation over political change. This image of religion as a pillar of established power relations and an opponent of movements for social change is common in both popular and scholarly accounts. It is supported by numerous historical examples, including the Catholic Church’s support for the Spanish Crown against Latin American independence movements in the ...