The Forbidden Land examines the growing divisions within the Catholic Church in Brazil. The conflict centres on a debate about the role the church should play in modern Brizilian society. On one side of the debate is the conservative hierarchy which maintains that the church should stay out of politics and concentrate on saving souls. On the other side are the progressive followers of Liberation Theology, who argue that the church must take up the cause for social justice. At the heart of their dispute are the army of poor and dispossessed Brazilians who clamour for land reform and the wealthy landowners and developers who oppose them. Through its examination of the situation in Brazil, The Forbidden Land explores the social, economic and political roots of similar struggles being waged throughout Central and South America.