Blood Entanglements

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Evangelicals and gangs are closely intertwined in lower-class communities, sharing a religious cosmos, familial ties, and organizational strategies while engaging in local marketplaces. Pastors and gang leaders vie for power within these communities yet also informally collaborate in governance. Gang members often attend churches and faith-based organizations, and evangelicals maintain a presence in prisons and gang-controlled areas. To understand this dynamic, the entanglement thesis is introduced, explaining the frequent and intimate interactions between evangelicals and gangs, despite the latter being viewed as evil by many evangelicals. This thesis also sheds light on evangelicals' engagement with broader Latin American societal issues. Data for the study comes from the Religion, Global Poverty & International Development Project (RPD), encompassing 140 interviews, fourteen focus groups, and ethnographic research across various community settings. The findings provide unique insights into the identities and interactions of evangelicals and gangs. The concluding chapter presents policy recommendations aimed at evangelicals and their partners to address gang violence. This work significantly contributes to the literature on Latin American religion and culture, offering theoretical insights grounded in extensive empirical data that are relevant for policy development.