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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The Treasure of Guadalupe presents homilies and meditations on Guadalupe from contributors renowned for their pastoral leadership and theological creativity. Inspiring readers to probe how the Guadalupe tradition, the scriptures, and the spirituality of Advent can mutually enrich one another, the volume is a unique resource for preachers, pastoral agents who serve with Hispanic communities, and all believers who seek authentic Christian faith more firmly rooted in the native soil of the Americas.

In Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, Eduardo Chavez 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, Chavez 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.' Chavez's historical analysis not only represents strong scholarship, but also draws the...

In Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, Eduardo Chavez 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, Chavez 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." Chavez's historical analysis not only represents strong scholarship, but also draws the...

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....