In an era of increasing economic liberalization, much has been written on the challenges facing alternative trade movements. Religion is often overlooked in such research, and I examine how the faith identity of one set of actors infl uenced their in- volvement in the Central American coffee trade. On the basis of ethnographic research in Nicaragua, I examine how religious networks, ethics, and values shaped the economic behaviors of an evangelical Christian coffee network. Ultimately, I fi nd religion had a mixed impact. Local networks brought actors together in a common mission for eco- nomic justice, although transnational connections mattered little beyond providing aid. Although religious ethics promoted a sense of fairness, more radical was a focus on transparency, which altered economic relationships among those in the coffee chain. Fi- nally, actors leveraged their spiritual vision to challenge market dynamics and redefi ne the coffee product, although this vision both constrained and advanced efforts toward true empowerment of farmers. In a small conference room in El Salvador, coffee producers listened to the con- version testimony of a successful businessman. The coffee exporter was sharing his story not with coreligionists but with business colleagues interested in new coffee market opportunities. This was not merely an evangelism tactic: for the speaker, his personal history and faith were intimately connected with his busi- ness mission and practices. Though not part of the fair-trade network (Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International), his exporting company was involved in alternative market structures as it sought to economically assist small farmers in the country. Given the importance of coffee to the Central American region, the economic inequality inherent in the Latin American coffee trade, and the highly religious composition of the population, how faith actors connect religion and economics has important ramifi cations. In this article, I examine the role religion plays in the lives of a set of evangeli- cal Nicaraguan coffee actors, with a particular focus on their market involvement. Ultimately, religion had a mixed impact on their efforts toward greater economic