Celebrating Faith: Explorations in Latino Spirituality and Theology – serie

This book uses political, religious, and cultural history to examine catechesis. Sister de Luna establishes that religiosidad popular, the core theme for Hispanic theology, is Christian and Catholic and traces its elements in Church catechisms of the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. She goes on to examine the relationship between theology of beauty, catechesis, and spirituality establishing that the three disciplines were integral to faith formation in the early church, but were separated through the centuries. An in-depth analysis of six selected catechisms reveals that popular religion as a combination of faith and culture was evident at the beginning of Hispanic Catholicism in the sixteenth century. The investigation notes the gradual elimination and eventual replacement of the cultural aspects in the catechetical texts in the nineteenth century. The author concludes that the reunification of the cultural spiritual symbols with the presentation of doctrine could revitalize catechesis and bring Christian evangelization to a renewed effectiveness.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492, there began a new way of the cross, traced for five hundred years in the lives of the poor and oppressed peoples of the Americas.These short meditations on the stations—by such figures as Gustavo Guiterrez, Enrique Dussel, Leonardo Boff, Helder Camara, Elsa Tamez, and Jon Sobrino—reflect on the passion of Christ against the background of conquest.They write, as Virgil Elizondo says in his preface, to "invite our readers to take this journey with us, to share our suffering, to experience our crucifixion, and to taste in anticipation our Easter joy. We invite all—rich and poor, black and brown and white, clerics and lay people—to a profound conversion that will stimulate us to build a better world in the Americas, a world of the new humanity enjoying justice, freedom, and love."

This book celebrates a number of Guadalupan sermons that serve as the fundamental source of the Mexican people's unique spiritual devotion and identity. These sermons were preached, published, and circulated among the populace of Mexico in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They proclaim an unshakable conviction that the peoples of the American continent are the uniquely blessed recipients of God's, and especially Mary's, favor. In their modern sense, these sermons provide a wealth of information on Mexican theology, spirituality, and religious self-understanding at a pivotal time in a people's culture.

The appearance of the Virgin Mary on a hill in Guadalupe, Mexico in 1531 is perhaps the central tradition in Latino Catholicism. The vision, allegedly seen by recent convert Juan Diego, signalled the rise of Catholicism in the New World at a time when Protestantism was spreading throughout the old world. So what could a male, anglo protestant liturgist possibly have to say on the subject?In The Virgin of Guadalupe, Lutheran minister Maxwell Johnson recognizes that this tradition is not only important to Latin American Catholics, but to all Latin American Christians. Acknowledging the significance (if not, necessarily, the historical accuracy) of the appearance of the Virgin is not simply a Roman Catholic need by a necessity for all Christian churches among whom the Hispanic presence is growing. This is shown by the increased commemoration of Juan Diego on December 9, or of the Virgin of Guadalupe herself on December 12, on Protestant calendars. This increased recognition among Protestants coincides with the Pope's canonization of Saint Juan Diego in the summer of 2002.In step with this movement, Johnson considers the Virgin of Guadalupe from a Lutheran perspective and looks at ways in which she might be received into the evangelical or Protestant tradition.

Why was Jesus, Son of God, from an obscure village in Galilee? What does it mean to our spirituality that he chose not to seek favor from the powerful, but identified with the marginalized, the powerless and those in need of healing? In this remarkable rereading of the life of Jesus, theologian Virgilio Elizondo, cited by TIME Magazine as one of the spiritual innovators of our time, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and the healing his life offers to ourselves and our world today. Readers of this book will see Jesus in a new and powerful way. This is a thought-changing and life-changing book.

Profane & Sacred examines religious discourse in contemporary Latino/a fiction, exploring how religion creates, mediates or changes Latino culture and identity. Much contemporary literary criticism on Latino/a literature has focused on the bilingual and bicultural nature of Latino identity, history and cultural production. But just as the multiplicity of cultures and languages has shaped Latino identity and history, so too has religion. Studying the religious discourse found in fiction can clearly enrich not only our perception of the diversity within the Hispanic communities, but also the diversity between sociologists and creative writers.

Three leading scholars of Latino religious studies team up in this edited collection to present original meditations and reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most prominent religious images of the western hemisphere. Newest in the Celebrating Faith series, this book considers the meaning behind the symbol of Guadalupe. Because of the wide array of contributors, the figure of Guadalupe is examined from a variety of viewpoints: Catholic and Protestant, male and female, scholarly and liturgical. Written in a scholarly, yet spiritual manner, this analysis of Guadalupe recognizes her dual roles of maternal figure and inspiring evangelizer. Contributors discuss the history of Guadalupe and analyze how to carry out her message and teachings in contemporary society. The Treasure of Guadalupe is ideally suited to courses in Latino religious and cultural studies, and adds important contributions to the ongoing dialogue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, Eduardo Chávez presents the most important points of the Great Guadalupan Event: the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, a recently converted indigenous man, in Mexico. Through a utilization of the numerous historical documents and investigations of this event, Chávez details the reality of what occurred in the cold winter of 1531. As described by Pope John Paul II, 'The Guadalupan Event is the perfectly inculturated Evangelization model.' Chávez's historical analysis not only represents strong scholarship, but also draws the reader closer to the spiritual power of the events. As the newest contribution to the series Celebrating Faith: Explorations in Latino Spirituality and Theology, this work is of course ideal for use in Latino Studies, but also appeals to wider audience more curious about the Guadalupan event and its meaning for contemporary Christianity.

In Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, Eduardo Chávez presents the most important points of the Great Guadalupan Event: the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, a recently converted indigenous man, in Mexico. Through a utilization of the numerous historical documents and investigations of this event, Chávez details the reality of what occurred in the cold winter of 1531. As described by Pope John Paul II, 'The Guadalupan Event is the perfectly inculturated Evangelization model.' Chávez's historical analysis not only represents strong scholarship, but also draws the reader closer to the spiritual power of the events. As the newest contribution to the series Celebrating Faith: Explorations in Latino Spirituality and Theology, this work is of course ideal for use in Latino Studies, but also appeals to wider audience more curious about the Guadalupan event and its meaning for contemporary Christianity.

La Vida Sacra: Contemporary Hispanic Sacramental Theology is an original, insightful approach to the sacraments from the perspective and actual practice of Latinos over the centuries. It offers a distinctive take on the actual belief and enculturation of the sacraments in the Latino experience and context. Due to the growing presence of Hispanics in this country, churches are looking for new and innovative ways to fit them into their congregations. The existence of Hispanics and, more importantly, the value of their religious experiences are being gradually accepted in theological societies. Eduardo Fernández and James Empereur's new book fills the need for a more comprehensive and richer context for sacramental theology.As the newest book in the Celebrating Faith Series, it is ideal for theology courses, as well as directors of ministerial programs and their students who are looking to place Hispanic sacramentality in the larger framework of sacramental theology.

La Vida Sacra: Contemporary Hispanic Sacramental Theology is an original, insightful approach to the sacraments from the perspective and actual practice of Latinos over the centuries. It offers a distinctive take on the actual belief and enculturation of the sacraments in the Latino experience and context. Due to the growing presence of Hispanics in this country, churches are looking for new and innovative ways to fit them into their congregations. The existence of Hispanics and, more importantly, the value of their religious experiences are being gradually accepted in theological societies. Eduardo Fernández and James Empereur's new book fills the need for a more comprehensive and richer context for sacramental theology.As the newest book in the Celebrating Faith Series, it is ideal for theology courses, as well as directors of ministerial programs and their students who are looking to place Hispanic sacramentality in the larger framework of sacramental theology.

The Christian mystery, celebrated in the Roman Catholic liturgy, is a sensible mystery, and calls out for artistic expression. Living Beauty explores the Christian mystery and points to the need for a liturgical aesthetic as a means to encounter the divine mystery. A liturgical aesthetic gives an account of Christian worship in terms of a new set of categories that includes divine beauty, a theology of sensibility, and the new notion of a unitive revelatory experience. These categories help to reveal the aesthetic dimensions of the Church's watershed document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. The Church today stands in need of a new conversation on the aesthetic dimension of the liturgy and the role of the arts. Contrary to common opinion, the arts provide more than an environment or mere extrinsic ornamentation for the liturgy; they are intrinsic to the very nature of liturgy. They provide the means of being sanctified in the encounter with divine beauty that is the mystery of Christian worship. Artistic expression enables the worshiping community to receive the divine mystery in beauty.

The Christian mystery, celebrated in the Roman Catholic liturgy, is a sensible mystery, and calls out for artistic expression. Living Beauty explores the Christian mystery and points to the need for a liturgical aesthetic as a means to encounter the divine mystery. A liturgical aesthetic gives an account of Christian worship in terms of a new set of categories that includes divine beauty, a theology of sensibility, and the new notion of a unitive revelatory experience. These categories help to reveal the aesthetic dimensions of the Church's watershed document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. The Church today stands in need of a new conversation on the aesthetic dimension of the liturgy and the role of the arts. Contrary to common opinion, the arts provide more than an environment or mere extrinsic ornamentation for the liturgy; they are intrinsic to the very nature of liturgy. They provide the means of being sanctified in the encounter with divine beauty that is the mystery of Christian worship. Artistic expression enables the worshiping community to receive the divine mystery in beauty.

This book is a powerful first-hand account of religious ministry reaching out to heal the lives of desperate people who come to the United States, often illegally, seeking a better life.