Luke Savidge
Linda Peacore
Systematic Theology
10.28.2011
Manana: Christian Theology From A Hispanic Perspective
Manana: Christian Theology From A Hispanic Perspective examines the basic ideas and concepts of Christian theology through the lens of the Hispanic culture. Justo Gonzalez, who writes the book, is a Cuban immigrant who feels as though the world in which he grew up helps him understand not only the Hispanic culture better, but theology and how it relates to Hispanics. Gonzalez explores different divisions within Christian theology in the book such as Biblical theology, reading the Bible in Spanish, Trinitarian theology, theology of creation, anthropology, Christology, and pneumatology. He draws a great picture and idea of
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Gonzalez also explains how he feels like there have been many ‘macroevents’ and ‘macroformations’ that are going on now in the 20th century, which can be tied back to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. He talks about how history has shaped where the Hispanic culture is today, and how that ties into how they view theology and the Word.
In chapter 5, which is titled Reading the Bible in Spanish, Gonzalez turns his focus onto Hispanic theology and how it interprets scripture. He primarily uses two separate terms when trying to explain the Hispanic perspective on the Bible, though he does not do a good job of clearly explaining the distinction between the two, which can make it difficult for the reader. The two words that he uses a plethora of times are innocent history and noninnocent history. He says that throughout the Old Testament, which he usually refers to as the ‘older’ testament, he feels as though this is the innocent history. He gives examples of this such as Abraham lying to Sarah, Jacob stealing the birthright, and other stories where it is blatantly against the Word. Gonzalez says that the New Testament, can be referred to as the noninnocent history, and uses examples of the Gospel writers. He states that when the writers of the Gospels were writing, that they held the noninnocent view, and he uses examples like the genealogy of Jesus, the incest of
McGrath’s Christianity’s Dangerous Idea attempts to tell the story of Protestantism from its early beginnings up to its present-day form. A similar and parallel story is found in Justo Gonzalez’s The Story of Christianity in which he also gives a narrative of the origin, growth and development of the Protestant movement from the Reformation to the present day. However, Gonzalez not only gives an account of Protestantism but of Christianity as a whole while McGrath concentrates his study on Protestantism alone. In addition, McGrath not only narrates but also gives a prophetic
In addition, I think that religion plays an important role in the life of the Latino family. The religious affiliation of Latinos in the United States is 68% Catholic. Perhaps religion strengthens relationships of people in local communities. The relationship between people can flourish and religious groups make a great contribution. Therefore, it is indispensable to understand Latino's religious
In Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, Justo L. González invites the reader to read the Bible in fresh ways, and gain insight from the perspective of “those who claim their Hispanic identity as part of their hermeneutical baggage, and who also read the Scripture within the context of a commitment to the Latino struggle to become all that God wants us and all of the world to be—in other words, the struggle for salvation/liberation.” (González 1996, 28-29) Published hot on the heels of the quincentennial of Columbus’ voyage to the new world, and abreast of discussions taking place in the larger Hispanic community, González’s book is both timely and well researched.
Ramon Gutierrez’s When Jesus Came, The Corn Mothers Went Away is an exploration of the merging of Spanish, Franciscan and Pueblo Indian cultures throughout Spain's “frontier” in its colonial American empire before Anglo contact. Gutierrez builds a foundation for his analysis by discussing Pueblo Indian life prior to outside contact, Franciscan theology, and the class structure of Spanish communities in each of its respective book sections. He examines meanings of the cultural interactions of gift exchange, ownership, trade, sexual rights, labor, kinship, social status, religious beliefs, and honor among many others using marriage as a window. His interpretation of the complex cultural meanings of marriage illustrates the ways in which the
Ernesto Quinonez 's novel is very influential and gives insight into the harsh reality of being a minority in America. Quinonez also speaks on the history of the Latino culture and the life experiences. The fabricated stories based on true events, affected Latinos as well as other nationalities. This book has served its purpose and is speaking to families, friends, wives, husbands, and children on being aware and conscious of the reality that surrounds them. This novel amazed me with the political and historical content surrounding the Latino community, and it is extremely powerful as it shows independence in its own culture. The novel uses its content to bring awareness of Latino ethnic identity, their way of life, and defines social factors from within. (Barajas 2014)
In the final resolution concerning religion, Chicanas declare, “Revolutionary change of [the] Catholic Church or for it to get out of the way.”
Overall, the chapter, which focuses on “Hispanicity”, impacted me because I began to formulate ideas which opposed those that had been hammered into my mind all my life. For so long I had heard that minorities were victims to oppression by whites and for that reason minorities should strive to do more than what is expected from them. In reading Rodriguez’s claim, questions that had never been explored in my development arose in my mind such as “Are Hispanics really the victims?”, “Do Hispanics truly strive to their fullest to accomplish things that have never been done?”, and lastly, “Are Hispanics committing acts of hypocrisy?”. If a Hispanic
Dr. Jason Richwine discusses the Latino’s absorption and integration into the American culture. He compares the Latino nation with other countries’ immigrants that has rose out of poverty, while the Hispanics have not been rising up out of the lower class after several generations have passed. Richwine mentions that American prejudice might be influencing the Hispanic immigrants not striving. For example, he states, that “popular explanations from the
The earliest recorded text teaching Christianity has its roots buried deep within Judaism. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, created a new ideology of worship. The Messiah is the savior for all people and of all sins. Paul carried the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles. His missionary journeys and establishment of churches enabled the spreading of the message throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity grew in acceptance; those that believed in the Messiah separated and began to worship on their own. This marked the beginning of the split of Judaism and Christianity.
Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo and Mariela M. Páez. Latinos: Remaking America. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1997.
The Story of Christianity is a book written by Justo Gonzalez; a native of Cuba. Gonzalez serves on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center which is located in Atlanta Georgia. He attended Yale University, where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. in historical theology; in fact Dr. Gonzalez is the youngest person at Yale to be awarded a Ph.D. He is also one of the first generation Latino theologians and instead of growing up Catholic, comes from a protestant background. In addition to writing many other books, Gonzalez is also Cokesbury’s publishing chief narrator of the Christian Believer study video lessons course and the recipient of the Ecumenism Award from the Theological Consortium in Washington, which he received as a
In America today, we are faced with several different minority groups arriving to the United States. The most common of all minority groups are the Hispanics. America is known for their language being English, but as the year's approach, that language has faded and a new face in English language has taken over, it's called Spanish. We as the people of America have become controversial over this major change, and due to that major bilingualism and political movements that have occurred from the government to the education departments. In this paper, I am going to talk about the four most common Hispanic groups in our country today and the political, social, linguistic, economic, religious, and familial conventions and/or statuses that they
Central to this family–centered culture was the Roman Catholic Church, a trademark of these peoples’ Spanish heritage. Alas, though these immigrant pioneers were brothers and sisters of the one true apostolic church in a predominantly Protestant Texas, they were still just Mexicans in the eyes of the Anglo St. Mary’s Catholic parish. Duron still has trouble understanding the discrimination at the pews as she remembers that whenever she went to mass ”they let the Mexican people on one side and the white people on the other side”, segregating the congregation right down the middle. The Chavez siblings actually recalled that the priest of St. Mary’s would occasionally give the Mexicans mass in a basement “hidden in the bottom” of the church whenever all the Anglos had left.
Juan Gonzalez uses Chapter 12: “Speak Spanish, You’re in America!: El Huracán over Language and Culture” of his novel Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America to introduce a truly polarizing argument that has plagued the Latino community in the United States of America. Gonzalez is quick to point out that English is the common language in this country, though he is quicker to note that it should not necessarily be so. This author is so incredibly biased in this chapter that it is nearly impossible to disagree with his opinion without feeling like one is completely shutting out the entire Latino community. However, speaking as a member of this community, perhaps it is this unique insight that allows for not only a contending opinion, but also the framework to make the opinion relevant. Gonzalez makes brash claims with little supporting evidence and relies heavily on argumenta ad passiones to manipulate the reader’s emotions instead of focusing on rationalism and sound judgment. Quite possibly, it was the abundance of this logical fallacy that made it difficult to sympathize with his argument; though, it lays the basis for this chapter analysis.
Foreigner in their own land, as “Latino Americans” individuals faced many challenges that test their fate in faith, home and identity of family. As war divide and conquer part of land and that advocacy of political independence of a formation of the United States. Latino Americans outline main points in part of the race and racism in America being language, majority’ and ‘minority’ stratification that alter and expand the differences that expand in culture, race, and religion classes. Thus, construction of territory that outline the bordering disputes of the Republic of Texas with Mexico wars begins with the struggle over Southwestern territories that once belonged to Spain through the establishment of building Catholic Missions. With the defeat