Pentecostalism
With roughly half of Guatemalans today self-identifying as Pentecostal Christian, thousands of churches—big and small—shoulder the responsibility to save their nation. In response, I research the moral dimensions of security, democracy, and drugs in Guatemala City with fieldwork in a variety of church settings as well as in open-air drug markets, gang-controlled neighborhoods, and Guatemala’s expansive prison system.
Guatemala City
The spatial organization of Guatemala City captures my attention. I have completed projects on high rise buildings, fast food delivery services, informal bus lines, the public cemetery, motorcycle taxis, the phenomenon of empty streets, bullet proof cars, no-tell motels, and buildings made with drug money (aka narcotectura). Right now, I am in the middle of an essay on bridges and barrancos (canyons).
Clerical Sexual Abuse
There is a generally agreed upon history about clerical sexual abuse. It is that bishops transferred known perpetrators from one parish to another. While this is undoubtedly true, it is only a small part of the larger story. The Roman Catholic Church also moves sexually abusive priests across international borders. My research, in response, demonstrates that clerical sexual abuse is (and always has been) as global as the Roman Catholic Church.