Many US Christians were profoundly moved by the liberation struggles in Central America in the 1980s. Most learned about the situation from missionaries who had witnessed the repression firsthand. Drawing on in-depth interviews, Nepstad offers an analysis of the experiences of religious leaders and church members in the solidarity movement.

"Sharon Erickson Nepstad ranges from Central American history to North American politics, and from macro political economy to a close look at personal narratives, to trace the meanings, passions, and convictions that led people into opposition of U.S. Central American policy." --Rhys H. Williams, editor of Culture Wars in American Politics: Critical Reviews of a Popular Myth "In this book you hear and see real people making choices, feeling emotions, trying to make sense of the world, and pursuing their goals. The movement for peace in Central America in the 1980s was heroic, battling an arrogant U.S. administration bent on harebrained intervention--an all-too-frequent pattern in American history. In addition to the importance of its subject, Convictions of the Soul nicely captures themes that are at the forefront of studies of protest, especially emotions and agency."--James M. Jasper, author of The Art of Moral Protest: Culture, Biography, and Creativity in Social Movements "In this book you hear and see real people making choices, feeling emotions, trying to make sense of the world, and pursuing their goals. The movement for peace in Central America in the 1980s was heroic, battling an arrogant U.S. administration bent on harebrained intervention--an all-too-frequent pattern in American history. In addition to the importance of its subject, Convictions of the Soul nicely captures themes that are at the forefront of studies of protest, especially emotions and agency."--James M. Jasper, author of The Art of Moral Protest: Culture, Biography, and Creativity in Social Movements "Sharon Erickson Nepstad ranges from Central American history to North American politics, and from macro political economy to a close look at personal narratives, to trace the meanings, passions, and convictions that led people into opposition of U.S. Central American policy." --Rhys H. Williams, editor of Culture Wars in American Politics: Critical Reviews of a Popular Myth