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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.
For Mexican Catholic women in the United States, devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe-La Virgen-is a necessary aspect of their cultural identity. In this masterful ethnography, Mar a Del Socorro Casta eda-Liles considers three generations of Mexican-origin women between the ages of 18 and 82. She examines the Catholic beliefs the women inherited from their mothers and how these beliefs become the template from which they first learn to see themselves as people of faith. She also offers a comprehensive analysis of how Catholicism creates a culture in which Mexican-origin women learn how to be "good girls" in a manner that reduces their agency to rubble. Through the nexus of faith and lived experience, these women develop a type of Mexican Catholic imagination that helps them challenge the sanctification of shame, guilt, and aguante (endurance at all cost). This imagination allows these women to transgress strict notions of what a good Catholic woman should be while retaining life-giving aspects of Catholicism. This transgression is most visible in their relationship to La Virgen, which is a fluid and deeply engaged process of self-awareness in everyday life.
A collection of extraordinary oral histories of American nuns, Habits of Change captures the experiences of women whose lives over the past fifty years have been marked by dramatic transformation. Bringing together women from more than forty different religious communities, most of whom entered religious life before Vatican II, the book shows how their lives were suddenly turned around in the 1960s--perhaps more so than any other group of contemporary women. Here these women speak of their active engagement in the events that disrupted their church and society and of the lives they lead today, offering their unique perspective on issues such as peace activism, global equality for women, and the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The interviewees include a Maryknoll missionary who spent decades in Africa, most recently in the Congo; an inner-city art teacher whose own paintings reflect the vibrancy of Haiti; a recovering alcoholic who at age 71 has embarked on her fourth ministry; a life-long nurse, educator, and hospital administrator; and an outspoken advocate for the gay and lesbian community. Told with simplicity, honesty, and passion, their stories deserve to be heard.
Through dozens of original documents ¡Presente! offers readers the story of Latino/Hispanic Catholicism from 1534 to the present. From the first mission encounters in the sixteenth century, to Cesar Chavez and the UFW, to the beginnings of mujerista theology in the 1980s, this collection offers a unique and indispensable look at the community that has become the largest ethnic component in the American Catholic Church today.
'Voices of Feminist Liberation' brings together a wide range of scholars to explore the work of Rosemary Radford Ruether, one of the most influential feminist and liberation theologians of our time. Ruether's extraordinary and ground-breaking thinking has shaped debates across liberation theology, feminism and eco-feminism, queer theology, social justice and inter-religious dialogue. At the same time, her commitment to practice and agency has influenced sites of local resistance around the world as well as on globalised strategies for ecological sustainability and justice. 'Voices of Feminist Liberation' examines the potential of Ruether's thinking to mobilize critical theology, social theory and cultural practice. The scholars gathered here present their personal engagements with Ruether's thinking and teaching. The book will be invaluable to scholars, policy-makers, and activists seeking to understand how colonial and patriarchal oppression in the name of religion can be confronted and defeated.
This is a powerful, first-hand account of a religious ministry that reaches out to console, heal, and build the lives of poor and desperate immigrants who come to the United States in search of a better life. Daniel G. Groody talked with immigration officials, 'coyote' smugglers, and immigrants in detention centers and those working in the fields. The picture that emerges starkly contrasts with the negative stereotypes about Mexican immigrants: Groody discovered insights into God, family, values, suffering, faith, and hope that offer a treasury of spiritual knowledge helpful to anyone, even those who are materially comfortable but spiritually empty. This book has a message that reaches across borders, divisions, and preconceptions; it reaches all the way to the heart.
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.
Richard Rohr says about this book and its author that ""the only authors worth reading are those who have done their homework--the homework of their own life and the study of other great minds and hearts. Gus Gordon has done both. Here you will reap and enjoy the rewards. By showing the deep connections between solitude and solidarity, he reveals the very heart of the Gospel.""
Gus Gordon has learned from both Jesus and the Buddha how to use solitude to nurture compassion, freeing up the divine energy within to live in solidarity with others, experiencing the peace in life you share with others. This is a very practical book about how to bring high ideals of both great religious founders to your heart.
""Gordons book will speak--and it will speak powerfully--to the many of us who are struggling with the need to be nurtured by solitude and solidarity, action and contemplation, prophecy and mysticism, wisdom and love."" --Paul F. Knitter, Union Theological Seminary, New York
A new perspective on spirituality and social change as seen through the work of six visionary thinkers In Liberating Spiritualities, Christopher D. Tirres offers an in-depth exploration of spirituality as a catalyst for social transformation, showcasing the profound insights of six distinguished twentieth-century liberation thinkers from across the Américas. This thought-provoking work examines the contributions of Marxist philosopher José Carlos Mariátegui, renowned educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, innovative constructive theologian Virgilio Elizondo, influential cultural and feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa, activist mujerista theologian and social ethicist Ada María Isasi-Día...
Once asked to explain how he had sustained himself over so many years of struggle, César Chávez responded: "I don't think I could base my will to struggle on cold economics or some political doctrine. For me, the base must be faith." In evaluating the life and struggles of César Chávez, one of the most recognized Latino leaders in the United States and the first labor leader to successfully organize and unionize U.S. farm workers, many historians, journalists, and other writers have largely missed one significant factor of his life—his faith and deep spirituality. The Gospel of César Chávez uses the prolific leader's own words to express his profound faith and the way it shaped his life and leadership.