Many Catholic priests nuns and brothers in the United States take a strong interest in US policies that affect their 'brothers and sisters' abroad. In fact when the policies of their native government pose significant dangers to their people internationally these US citizens engage actively in a variety of political processes in order to protect and advance the interests of the transnational religious communities to which they belong. In this provocative examination of the place of religion in world politics Timothy A. Byrnes focuses on three Catholic communities--Jesuit Maryknoll and Benedictine--and how they seek to shape US policy in El Salvador Nicaragua and Mexico. Based on years of fieldwork and on-the-ground interviews Reverse Mission details the transnational bonds that drive the political activities of these Catholic orders. This fascinating book reveals how the men and women of these orders became politically active in complex and sometimes controversial causes and how ultimately they exert a unique influence on foreign policy that is derived from their communal loyalties rather than any ethnic or national origin. Language: English