Of divine import: The Maryknoll missionaries in Peru, 1943--2000

In the post World War II era fear of Communism and peasant-based revolutions which pervaded the western hemisphere contributed to religious and political leaders in Central and South America welcoming a veritable flood of foreign missionaries to their countries. It was believed that spiritual and material aid to the regions' poorest people would buttress a religious foundation, alleviate poverty, and promote modernization, thereby staving off the threat of Communism. My research examines the efforts of one mission organization, Maryknoll, to achieve these goals by transforming the predominantly indigenous people of Puno, Peru into modern Catholics and citizens. I examine the development of the missionaries' proselytization and modernization programs and the impact they had on Peru from 1943 to the present. In doing so, I illustrate how the Maryknoll mission movement and its influence were shaped by a combination of global changes that facilitated Maryknollers' settlement in Latin America, ideological influences stemming from the missionaries' communities of origin in the United States, and the missionaries' adaptation to local expectations about the role Catholic clergy should play in society. There was a reciprocal relationship between the missionaries and the people they proselytized so Maryknollers who sought to transform society in Puno by introducing "orthodox Catholicism" and modernization ultimately were transformed themselves.; The Maryknoll missionaries who settled in Peru in 1943 were fierce American nationalists, virulent anti-Communists, and doctrinaire Catholics for whom Faith was evidenced by observance of Sacraments and obedience to hierarchy. The missionaries believed implicitly that by introducing their religious practices and elements of modernization including education, medical care, and credit cooperatives they would transform these backward highland regions into modern, progressive centers. By 1968, however, the Maryknollers' goals and ideals appeared transformed. They became vociferous critics of American policy, advocates of social change, and promoters of inter-cultural Catholic faith. My dissertation provides an analysis of global changes that influenced Maryknoll and the local contexts in which these changes were experienced and shows Maryknoll's impact on political and economic development in Peru.