The motivation for this paper is the organization "Concerned Women for America", the connection between the Christian Right and foreign policy and how they influenced the foreign policy making regarding Nicaragua in the 1980s and 1990s. To answer this question, it is necessary to answer another one first: how do the terms anticommunism, evangelicals, foreign policy and humanitarian aid work together and influence each other?
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union tried to gain as much power and influence as they possibly could. Consequently, when Communism started to spread in Central America, the USA started to get worried. The USA has a long history of interfering with matters in countries in Central America, whether with missionary missions or military intervention, like Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Especially Nicaragua, which had two US-American military occupations in the first half of the 20th century, managed to partially free themselves of US-American influence. The revolution in the late 1970s changed their relationship again. This revolution resulted in a Civil War – which was promoted from outside powers – in the 1980s and in a communist dictatorship.
What “promoted from outside powers” actually means, is, that powers like the USA or other organizations were not only interested in the situation of Nicaragua, but influenced the developments and the outcome. The 40th President of the USA, Ronald Reagan, took actions, which changed the political situation in Nicaragua. He does not only play a crucial part in this paper, because he was the current President at that specific time, but also because he, as an individual, choose to interfere in the Nicaraguan Civil War.
Another phenomenon of that time was the rise of the evangelicals as a political movement, who tried to influence not only politics in the USA, but also outside of it. This phenomenon was at first close with the democratic President Jimmy Carter, but he turned out to be a disappointment for the evangelicals. After Carter, they started to have closed ties with the Republican party, counting back to Ronald Reagan. The Christian Right organization Concerned Women for America started a humanitarian aid program in 1987, with the main goal to send Love, Hope and Apples to Nicaraguan refugees in Costa Rica. It is one of the few Christian Right organizations which survived the 1990s and is still active.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Critical analysis of the sources
2.1. The importance of Ronald Reagan for the Christian Right and the US-foreign policy in the 1980s and 1990s shown with a video from 1986
2.2. The interest of Concerned Women for America in Nicaragua shown in a press release from 1988
2.3. The importance of Beverly LaHaye and the humanitarian aid project ‘Love, Hope and Apples’ for the Christian Right shown in a letter from 1988
2.4. The connection between Concerned Women for America and US-foreign policy shown in an article from 1989
2.5. The ‘need’ for church involvement and missionary missions in a democratic Nicaragua shown in a report from 1990
3. Conclusion
4. Sources and Bibliography
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines how the Christian Right organization Concerned Women for America [CWA] influenced US foreign policy toward Nicaragua during the 1980s and 1990s. It explores the intersection of anticommunism, religious identity, and humanitarian aid to understand how these factors were leveraged to shape political outcomes and mobilize American public opinion in support of interventionist strategies.
- The symbiotic relationship between evangelical political movements and the Reagan administration.
- Use of humanitarian aid projects—specifically "Love, Hope and Apples"—as vehicles for political and missionary influence.
- The construction of foreign policy narratives through conservative media and religious rhetoric.
- The impact of Cold War anticommunism on the marginalization of alternative belief systems and social structures in Nicaragua.
- The role of non-governmental organizational lobbying in steering legislative demands concerning international affairs.
Excerpt from the Book
2.5. The ‘need’ for church involvement and missionary missions in a democratic Nicaragua shown in a report from 1990
In 1990, Jim Woodall published the Latin America Report in CWA’s July newsletter. He is the Director of Latin America Affairs for CWA in Nicaragua and in this report, he talks about a visit from Beverly LaHaye, the translator Mirta Colloca and himself to the new Nicaragua. His approach and his language are totally different from the rhetoric used by LaHaye and Guirard, as he mentions the keywords ‘hope’ and ‘God’ more often. The visit was on the 7th of May, a few months after the Nicaraguan election, which bought many changes for Nicaragua itself.
Nicaragua is no longer ruled by the Sandinistas, but by a democratic government, which met the standards of the USA and the humanitarian aid project. Although the group welcomed this change, the problems did not vanish with the Sandinistas, as Woodall reports that “inflation is terrible. More than 50 percent of people are unemployed. Food is scarce and medicine is non-existent, but there is a sense of national pride and hope for the future” This indicates, that not only Woodall is hopeful and confident about a great future, but also the Nicaraguan people in general. Again, there is no indication that there are people who are now unhappy because they agreed with the Sandinistas or had a career with them.
After his insight on the current situation, he moves to the part in his report, where he says, that “they [Nicaraguan people] believe that the United States government and our private sector will be willing to help them rebuild their new democracy” and further “what an opportunity for churches to get involved!”, which makes one thing abundantly clear: the involvement of the USA and CWA does not end with the ending of the Nicaraguan Civil War. This changes the simply humanitarian project with providing aid to an US-American organization, which interferes and influences a rebuilding process.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of the Cold War and the motivation for examining the intersection of the Christian Right, anticommunism, and US foreign policy in Nicaragua.
2. Critical analysis of the sources: Investigates specific documents, including videos, press releases, reports, and articles from Concerned Women for America, to trace their influence on foreign intervention.
3. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, arguing that religious and political agendas were deeply interconnected, with the Christian Right acting as a vital support for US interventionist strategies based on a shared, paranoid fear of socialism.
4. Sources and Bibliography: Provides a comprehensive list of all primary and secondary sources referenced within the research paper.
Keywords
Christian Right, Nicaragua, Anticommunism, Concerned Women for America, US Foreign Policy, Humanitarian Aid, Beverly LaHaye, Ronald Reagan, Cold War, Evangelicalism, Missionaries, Sandinistas, Contras, Democracy, Religious Supremacy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the interference of the Christian Right, specifically the organization Concerned Women for America (CWA), in Nicaraguan affairs during the 1980s and 1990s and how they influenced US foreign policy.
What are the primary themes addressed?
The central themes include the role of anticommunism as a political driver, the involvement of religious movements in politics, the strategic use of humanitarian aid, and the conceptualization of US supremacy in international relations.
What is the core research question?
The research seeks to understand how the terms anticommunism, evangelicals, foreign policy, and humanitarian aid worked together to influence the US government's approach to Nicaragua during the specified decades.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a chronological, qualitative analysis of primary sources, including newsletters, press releases, reports, and archival video content from the CWA and the Reagan administration, to critically evaluate the influence of the Christian Right.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body critically analyzes five specific sources—ranging from a 1986 Reagan video to a 1990 Latin America Report—to demonstrate how rhetorical crisis-framing and religious ideology were used to justify intervention.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Christian Right, Nicaragua, Anticommunism, Concerned Women for America, foreign policy, and humanitarian aid.
How did Ronald Reagan bridge the gap between religion and foreign policy in this context?
Reagan served as a central figurehead whose overarching goal of "stopping Communism" aligned with the ideological and missionary goals of the Christian Right, creating a symbiotic political partnership.
What significance did the ‘Love, Hope and Apples’ project have?
Beyond its literal scope as humanitarian aid, the project functioned as a tool for political influence and missionary outreach, aiming to convert Nicaraguan refugees and install a US-approved belief system.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the ‘33 demands’ mentioned in the 1989 article?
The author concludes that these demands were less about genuine democratization and more about securing US interests and providing a foothold for evangelical missionary work in a post-Sandinista Nicaragua.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2023, The interference of the Christian Right in Nicaragua in the 1980s and 1990s, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1487233
