Wilh deep appreciation to lhe members of our dissertation commiltees:

PhiJJip &rryman

Katie Geneva Connon

HANDBOOK OF
justo L. Gonzalez Latina/o Theologies
john C. Raines

David Harrington l1fau

"Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another,"
PROVEI(I\S '27: 17

Edwin David Aponte

Miguel A. De La Torre
EDITORS

~T~
CHALICE
PP.['iS
ST. lOU~, "trSSOUllJ
INTRODUCTION

Theological and Cultural

Competence en Conjunto
• EDWIN DAVID ApONTE

Why latino/a Theology?

Scholars in relihrious studies and parishioners in the contemporary
church in the United States face the reality and chaJlenge of the varied
theolohrica1, ecclesiastical, spiritual, and cultural expressions that comc
under the term'" LatinQ/a or Hispanic theology." Hispanic theolob'J can be
defined as the distinct theologies that emerge out of the social and
culturaJ contexts of Latino/a peoples, which, nonetheless, have some
shared characteristics. These common traits make Latino/a theology a
communal undertaking that is scholarly, pastoral, and organically
connected to b'Tussroots communities. Latino/a theology insists on doing
theolob'Y in a relevant contextual way that is bolh in dialogue with the
received dominant theologlcal traditions as well as questioning of them
and lheir claims of being standard. Moreover, there is no such thing as
one single, unified Hispanic/Latino/a theolof,'Y, but ralher a multiplicity
of perspectives within the diverse Latino/a communities that articulate
distinctive and relevant Hispanic viewpoints for lhe larger endeavor of
Christian theolof,'Y as a whole.
Latino/a theology encompasses all subjects in all fields of lheology,
biblical studies, and relif,rion; and its significance flows beyond the
2 Handbook 0/ Lotin% Theologies
boundaries of Hispanic communities in an increasingly pluralistic United
States. The purpose of this handbook is to introduce selected Christian
theological and other religious concepts from the point of view of the
HispaniclLalino/a communities as well as providing an enhanced
understanding of the Hispanic presence within overall Christian
theology, thereby highlighting the diversity within the Latino/a
theological discourse. This in tum will inform and challenge the
traditional normative discourse held to be a self-evident "objective"
orthodoxy ag-dinst which everything else is measured, illustrating a great
variety of approaches and positions. Simply stated, this handbook
surveys how Latinos/as understand and do theology. Attention is given
to the history, nature, sources, and development of the U.S. Latinos/as
theological expressions and their contribution to the overall theological
discourse, as well as the connection between these different theological
perspectives and the idelllity of l!le illdi vidual gl uups that produced these
perspectives. Furthermore, the correlation between religion, identity,
community, context, agency, and culture in the social environment of
different marh';nalized groups-and their impact on the development and
nature on Latino/a theologies-is considered.
The first part of the handbook presents essays on many of the
traditional topics in Christian theoloh'Y representative both of the
individual authors and various beliefs found in Latino/a communities.
The second section focuses on different trends and contextual issues
within the overall Hispanic/Latino/a theological conversation
demonstrating the breadth, richness, and diversity of Latino/a
theolOgical and religious perspectives. There is no claim here for a
unified presentation of Latino/a theologies, with all the authors espousing
the same set of beliefs, approaches, and positions. Indeed, at some points
it will be evident that we disagree with each other. Nevertheless. this
volume does show a shared characteristic. Collectively, this Handbook is
an expression of lI!ologio en conjunlo.
A Word on Teo/agfo en Conjunto
A vital feature of Hispanic/L..,tino/a theology is its collaborative
methodology, known as leolog(a ell conjunlo. As a shared endeavor,
L..,tino/a collaborative theology arises both from the historical and social
contexts of Hispanics/Latinas and Latinos in the United States as well as
a set of commitments, the chief of which is a commitment to community.
Part of the reality ofthe Latino/a communities in the United Stated is that
they are remarkably varied, although inaccurately classified as one
homot,reneous group by dominant public authorities. One dimension of
the existential reality of being grouped together is discovering what it
means to be part of a community that is simultaneously imagined and
reaJ, imposed and embraced. Jiologia en conjunlo seeks to explore and
Introduction 3
articulate the theolot,";cal dimensions of this diverse and constantly
developing life together in the United States. I
Dominant scholarly cultural contexts stress individual academic
pursuits as the epitome of scholarship while simultaneously devaluing
work done in partnership as somehow less rigorous. Therefore, there is
little danger of this collective approach being romanticized, given the
experience of Latino/a communities in the United States where there is
a continuous experience that "alamos en ill ludUJ" ("we are in the
struggle"). Certainly the wider Latino/a struggle engages larger social
forces, including those who disparage Latino/a theology and uologia en
conjunlo as a superficial, marginal activity. This communal Latino/a
theolot,>1.caJ emphasis brings an altemative vision with intellectual rigor
and communal connection in contrast with privatized expressions of
Christian theolot,'Y that are highly individualistic and increasingly
removed from the contextual realities of everyday life, which are found
in the United States and Europe across the thcoloh';cal spectrum of
"'Iiberal-conservalive. "
Because of its conscious commitment to Hispanic/Latino/a
communities, accompanied by the goal of contextual relevance and the
implementation of biblical justice in contemporary society, Hispanic
theology continues to be marginalized by some in the church and the
academy despite its intellectual rigor. Some theolot,';ans and church
leaders dismiss Latino/a theologies as passing fads of little importance, a
type of theolOgical sideshow or distraction. Such judh'111ents reflect
arrogant dominant cultural attitudes. These de facto actions of exclusion
and injustice prevail at variance with the officiaJ language of acceptance
and inclusion by which Latinas and Latinos are welcomed, but only
when they behave in prescribed ways that support existing patterns of
control and often neglect questions of justice.
Marginality from forces outside the Latino/a community poses
difficult hurdles, but there is a significant challenge from within the
community as scholars of Latino/a religion and theoloh'Y engage in the
difficult work of collaboration. We realized that with this Handbook we
could not produce a work that was acceptable to, or even reflected the
consensus of, alt the contributors on all subjects. However, we do hope
that this book will h>1.ve a taste of the wide ranges of theology and relih>10n
within the Hispanic/Latino/a communities within the United States as an
expression of collaborative theology.
Latino/a leologia tTl conjuTlLo arises from the specific contexts of Latino
relih';ous communities in the United States, including Roman Catholic,
'For moll.' on ltolofw tfI (fmjIlItJtI. see De La lorn' and Apolllc, IlttTrJdllo1/{, Latinti/II
~ 2001:7J-74; Fernandez. lA UnaIuJ.. 200005-1, 74, lU; Goizucla. m~ Art II PnJpk!,
199'lc; and Rodrib'UC"~ and MartclI-Otero. 7~ tfI Coltjlllfl4, I!J!J7.

4 Handbook of Lotina/o Theologies
Pentecost.1.I, mainline Protestant, and evangelical groups. To varying
degrees, Hispanic or Latino/a theology also explores the impact and
occasional influence of alternative Latino/a religious traditions, including
"older" alternatives of Indigenous beliefs and practices, African Diaspora
religious traditions such as Santeria, as well as more recent or "newer"
religious movements. Moreover, some Latinos/Latinas have multiple
religious involvements in several groups and traditions-sometimes
concurrently-that impact contemporary beliefs and practices.
latino/a Identity and Culture
issues of contextual identity and multiple cultures are an inherent
part of Latino/a theologies, although they do not exhaust the whole
content. In the United States "Hispanics" and "Latinos/as" arc peoples
who have roots in La.tin America, but even that shared characteristic can
mask a great deal of histOl"lcal and culturaJ diversity. Several essays
explore aspects of identity and culture, so there is no need to discuss
these issues in great detail here. Suffice it to say that the U.S. Census
categories in :WOO did not account for aJl the rich racial and ethnic
diversity that exists within each of these national groups. U.S. L.1.tino/a
groups maintain their connections with various ethnic and national roots
and identities. Each Latino/a context and community puts its own spin
on what it has received from multicultural Latin American roots, present
context, and interaction with other L.1.tino h'TOUps. The existential
experience of Latinos/as includes being pilgrims, aliens, exiles, or
outsiders at home (De La Torre and Aponte 2001 :46-53). With its
continually evolving cultural and racial identities, the population of
Hispanics or Latinos/as in the United States makes this country one of
the largest "Latin American" population centers in the world.
Moreover, a genuine homegrown U.S. Latino/a population beyond
governmental demographic designations is developing in the United
States. So there cannot be a "typical" L.1.tina, Latino, or Hispanic. The
Hispanic/Latino/a religious experience is varied in the same way, but
there is an ongoing cultural mesti;;;pje taking place in the United States.
Commenting on the nature of meJtb.P.je as part of Latino/a identity.
Arturo Batiuelas stales that meJtizaje:
is a locus theologicuJ. Furthermore, when viewed from the Latino
peoples' struggles for survival. mestizaje is rooted in resistance
against assimilationist tendencies by any oppressive, dominant
culture. For this reason, Latino theoloh'Y affirms mestizaje in the
Latino's struggle for self-identity and self-determination and
links it with God's plans for a new world order. While God-talk
and mestb.P.je are linked in the Latino history of salvation, the
issue of this relationship continues to be unsettled because
Introduction 5
mestizaje is and will continue to be an unfinished process as the
place of origin changes. (1995: I)
Additionally, some Hispanic theologians also use the term mulatezin
conjunction with mestizo. Both terms are rooted in the colonial period:
The first referred to a mixture of African and European; the latter
referred to European and Indigenous. While there is criticism of
employing mulatez to describe present culture, the utilization of both
terms helps ensure that the racial/ethnic cultural complexity of peoples
of Latin American descent is considered (isasi-Dfaz 2004:44).~
Identities transported from Latin America, imposed by the dominant
culture, and formed in new contexts all contribute to cultural complexity
within the United States and result in a self-determination that is forming
and reforming, whether called "Hispanic" or "Latino/a." It is an
emergent, flexible, contextuaJ, and contested pan-ethnic identity shared
amung peuple of Latin American and Caribbean roots living in the
United States while acknowledging and affirming differences. The
conditions of life in the United States, including imposed racial identities,
help foster this growing sense of group identity. All of this complexity of
multiple identities and cultural locations is part of the context in the
formulation of Latino/a theologies.
Collaboration and Theological Tradition
Although there are many collective themes, it is not yet clear if one
can speak of definite schools of thought within U.S. Latino/a theologies.
Certainly there is a great deal of scholarly dialogue across these various
lines, and perhaps this is one of the hallmarks of Latino/a theology: a
certain type of ecumenical awareness and solidarity. This is an
ecumenism that, while aware of what has transpired historicaJly in the
National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, really
developed along alternative paths, some of them located in the margins
and borderlands. It also developed with a profound sense of the various
Latino/a communities, to which the many theologies and scholars of
religion have felt ongoing responsibility and commitment.
Some common themes have emerged despite the extreme diversity
among Hispanic communities. These include the already mentioned
emphasis on identity and culture, the importance of family and
community, the role of experience and religious practices--especially
popular religious practices, gender analysis and agency, the struggle for
survival and the related agency in public life, and interreligious
'See also VaJelllin. Mapping PI,Mit ThCOu,It!, 2(}1l2:W~72: Ue l~1 Torre. La Luella ftr
Cuba, 200::J:l(j~lll.
6 Handbook of Lotin% Theologies
dialogue? One shared theme that has produced many permutations is
me rubric of rereading. Justo Gonzalez initially suggested the specific
theme "Reading the Bible in Spanish" to discuss HispanidLatino/a
approaches to biblical interpretation; however. this has been picked up
by many others in other areas as well so that there are explorations of
rereading theolob"Y in the general as well as specific areas of theology,
such as christolob'Y, the history of Christianity. pastoral theology. etc.
(Gonzalez 1990:75-H7).'
Latino/a theological themes include a rereading of the received
traditions in dialogue with matters of concern that arise from Latino/a
peoples so that the received tradition is connected to living communities
of faith and comes under critical assessmcnt in the context of the struggle
for life. Assertions that the received traditions might be less than perfect
and free of any cultu,dl conditioning is a matter of concern to some
contemporary theoloboians, historians, and ecclesiastical leaders.
However, in mat very challenge lies one of the great benefits of U.S.
Latino/a theologies, in that all religious talk, theological formulations,
and historical accounts are culturally positioned. Rereading the traditions
is not necessarily a rejection of the essential claims of the tradition
(although that may happen). Rereading means honestly stating what
every generation docs, that is, try to make sense of what has been passed
on to it. Second, rereading the tradition means taking the tradition
seriously. Third, rereading the tradition means a commitment to be
contextual, without which any received tradition become lifeless and a
museum piece.
Cultural Competence in Religious and Theological Studies
Latino/a theolob'Y is a demonstration of the need for intentional
cultural competence in theology and ministry, as well as some ways this
goal can be achieved. Some persons in and out of theological and
reLigious studies arb'Ue against the need for cultural competence, saying
that there is only one body of knowledge and only way of knowing.
Hispanic or Latino/a theology challenges that limited way of thinking
and demonstrates it to be a head-in-the-sand way of understanding the
world as well as the complex history and nature of Christian theology.
Cultural competence is a commitment and orientation that
encompasses a group of informed behaviors, oul1ooks, and policies that
assists to bring about elTective understanding and dialogue in cross-
cultural contexts. Cultural competence involves the readiness and
capaCity to appreciate both the existence and significance of multiple
'tor more on Latino/a IheoiogicaJ Ihemes _ Aquino, Machado. and Rodrigue:r.. A
Rmdn ill utiu Fmri"W 77tMitlrJ. 200'1; Valenlln. Nnn 1Iflri.(;rnu i" lIi.spttllicllAJiu(lJ)
77ttolog, 2003; and Pedraj.... TtolopJ.2004.
It"
'tor example or an applicalion or the rereading concept Sft' poofaj;l.lnMS Is
I9CJCJb.
U,,&.
Introduction 7
cultures in relationships and social interactions. It is a process of
multilayered community life mat involves the acquisition of skill and
practices for life together. Cultural competence means the recognition
and valuing of difference, and thereby accepting and respecting its
importance. That does not mean one is compelled to agree with the
difference or be its advocate. Cultural competence entails working
toward effective cross-cultural communication, enbragement with real
communities, and ;:\ deeper engngement with multiple bodies of
knowledge and behavior. Some people recob'llize difference but do not
value it and, indeed, sec difference as inherently destructive and a threat
to the status quo, and therefore to be opposed automatically. Such
opposition is ironic in that it reveals a selective view of the tradition that
it seeks to protect, whitewashing the diversity that is within the received
tradition itself. Christian theology has always been cross-cultural and has
always involved cultural competency.
The practice of cultural competence is already occurring within
Hispanic/Latino/a communities as Hispanics deal with their
multicultural realities. Moreover, multicultural Latinas and Latinos daily
demonstrate their cultural competence as they engage with dominant
cultures at several levels and in many ways. The variety of expressions of
Hispanic/Latino/a theolob'Y are yet another demonstration of the reality,
need, and possibility of theological and ecclesiastical cullural competence
for Christian life together and ministry in the world. With that
perspective it is clear that Hispanic/Latino/a theology is not a passing fad
but a needed perspective for the widcl' common good. It is incumbent
upon the church in the United States-across denominational and
jurisdictional lines-to become familiar with this evolving exciting
theological and pastoral reality.
Many of the issues facing Latino/a communities are still not
adequately addressed by the larger society and church, while
simultaneously contributions of Latinas and Latinos in theolob'Y, history,
liturgy, and pastoral ministry continue to be haphazardly and
systematically il)'1'Iored. Teologia t1I conjunto seeks to correct mis double
oversight and to make positive contributions to the life, thought, and
ministry of the wider Christian Church. Moreover, reCOb'11izing that all
theologies arise out of some particular cultural context, It%gl'a en conjunlo
with its intentional emphasis on the villuc of cooperative relational work
and commitment to community seeks 10 add its voice to wider
discussions, all the while trying to be faithful to the perspectives and
experiences of the diverse Hispanic or Latino/a communities in the
United States. Such a scholarly approach is more than the parochial
concerns of a marginalized community. Doing collaborative theology
from a Latino/a perspective can then be a model and encouragement for
doing theology together across the breadth of the church in the twenty-
first century.
 PART I

Thematic Essays
CHAPTER 1

God
• JAVIER R. ALANiS

Created in the Image of Diosito

The notion of God is a very broad metaphysical concept. To write a
short chapter on this subject would not do justice to the variety of
religious expressions and understandings behind this theological
concept. Therefore, this chapter nuances this IOpic from the perspective
of theological anthropolob'Y, in order to better understand notions of God
from a Latino/a perspective. This chapter revisits a lheolohrical construct
referred to in the dOh'111atic tradition as the imago Dti, a notion laken from
the biblical reference to hUlllilll bcinh'S as created in the image and
likeness of God (Gen. I :26-:0). By examining the concept from the
perspective of the d0f,rmatic tradition in conversation with Hispanic
popular religious expression. this chapter will elucidate how the
community expresses and images its self-understanding in light of the
experience of the sacred. An attempt will be made to show that God as
experienced by the Hispanic/Latino/a community is not an exclusive
metaphysical reality. but a personal and communal God who journeys
with the people in daily life. 1b this end, this chapter will consult the
diverse voices of both the Protestant and the Roman Catholic
communities for a broader glimpse of the intimate and endearing God
who is often referred to as lJiosito.
To speak of God is to renect on the nature or essence of God as
experienced in community. When !)rotestant ethicist Ismael Garcia
writes that "Hispanics confess that our humanity is grounded in our being

11
12 Handbook of Latinalo Theologies
created in God's image," he is speaking about the experience of a people
who understand themselves as beloved of God who is arnor, that is, love
in relationship with others and specifically with a particular community
that refers to itself as the Hispanic/Latino/a people of faith (1997: 130). As
a Protestant theologian who has reflected deeply on the meaning of God
as arnor, I have discovered from within my own community of faith and
familial relationships that the character and nature of God is to be amoroso
and earHloso. This means God is a loving and affietionate friend who is often
called Diosito, a term of endearment for One who is known intimately.
This endearing friend creates, reveals, and manifests the essence of a
caring love most acutely through others. As someone who loves us,
Diosito is bolh a good friend, lin BlIen Amigo, and a Lover, un Amante, who
initiates a loving relationship with the beloved community through the
life and death of lhe beloved Son, Jesus of Nazarelh. As Diosito, El Buen
Amigo, and Amante, God loves the beloved community and creates us
with this essence and capacity for reciprocal love even as our sinful
nature often mars this image of perfect love. This arnor del Amante and
Buen Amigo is most clearly revealed in the incarnalionallove and ministry
of Jesus of Nazareth. This is a view poignantly expressed by Roman
Catholic theologian Virgilio Elizondo in his reflections and writings on
the Galilean. '
To better understand the construct of the imago Dei and the notion
that we as a people have been created "in the image and likeness of
Diosito," who is arnor, let us briefly turn to the scriptural references. These
texts are Genesis I:26a: Then God said, "Lei us make humankind in our
image, according to our likeness ... " and Genesis 1:27: "So God created
humankind in his [sicJ image, in the image of God he [sicJ created them;
male and female he [siq created them." Biblical scholars and theologians
throughout the ages have reflected on the meaning of these texts as a way
of understanding the nature and essence of the human, who is a reflection
of the Creator.
Biblical scholar Claus Westermann points out that human dignity
and responsibility for the creation are core values conferred by God in
the creation of the human and that "implicit in being created in the image
of God is the capacity for language" (19117:11).1 Westermann also
observes that the succession of human generations that the early biblical
writer places after the creation story in Genesis (chapters 5 and 10) is a
succession of names, and in the succession of names lies the beginning of
history. History, he notes, !,ffOWS out of the blessing conferred on the
human family through fertility and procreation.
Westermann's observations resonate with the Hispanic/Latino/a
perspective on the imago Dei for several reasons. First, language or the
'See, for example, Elizondo, The Gabirall}ollrRty. 2000a,
'See also Alanis. Dignitylor the ForrilJlllr. :.!002:R
God 13
ability to speak and name the world is derivative of the imago Dei as a gift
of Diosito. The language of the family of oril',rin is a gifl of a historical and
theological worldview. The gift of language also confers an identity that
is nurtured and affirmed through the culture and history of the family
and the community. It allows us to name the world and to cocreate with
Diosito in the language of our culture. Hislorically, Hispanics/Latinos/as
have been chastised for speaking the Spanish language because it
represents the language of a conquered people. At the same time,
Hispanics/Latinos/as who speak English as their primary Janl','Uage have
at times experienced the lament of the loss of the native lan&'Uage of their
parents and grandparents. While the English language has provided new
opportunities, they are still treated as minorities within a much larger
English-speaking dominant culture that often does not appreciate or
value their contributions. Since the Spanish lillll','Uage is considered a
foreign language throughout the United States, both the governmental
and educational systems have attempted to eradicate it. The community
resists these efforts because it recognizes that the Spanish hmh'Uage is the
language of the heart. It is the language of prayer and of communion with
Diosito.
Secondly, language is history. The gift of language allows the
connection to the past. It hrives the Hispanic/Latino/a community its
sense of history and specificity within a culture that is not its own. It
nurtures the cultural memory of faith and reminds the community that it
has a place of belonging in the heart of God. J It also provides the
connection to the larger Hispanic/Latino/a community throughout the
United States, so that a sense of solidarity and community arises
wherever the Spanish language is heard and spoken. It helps to end the
isolation that many immih'fants feel when they enter this country and do
not speak the English language. It reminds them that they have a
common history and familiar roots. It confers dignity.
The apologists during the early church period emphasized the high
value of the human being as a recurring theme in their works. This
resonates with the Hispanic/Latino/a community. The early church
writers appear to be in al',ffeement with the psalmist in elevating the
nature of humanity to a def,ffee only slightly lower than the angels (Ps. 8).
The noble characteristics they perceive in the human-such as dignity,
purity, and virtue; moral freedom and responsibility; reason in the
service of morality; the ability to commune with God; as well as the
bodily nature as a reflection of the divine and royal image-are all
evidence of an exalted view of humanity that was to characterize the
early church movement and make it an appealing force for the
community of the marf,rinaJized. These reflections were the basis for an
early Christian theological anthropology that would leave its mark on the
"See, for example, Rodrib'lIC~, ~Sanb'1"e nama a s.lnb'1"c.~ 1!l9ti:3SI-ti6.
14 Hondbook of l.otinolo Theologies
Roman Empire as the Christian church continued to gmw as a subversive
force within the empire. This elevated view of humanity would be a
dynamic force in opposing the Roman notions of conquest and
subjugation of foreign peoples.
Like the early church movement, the HispanidL-uino/a community
lives with a sense of estranged otherness due to a conquest of territories
dating back to the nineteenth century. For Mib'1lel De La Torre and
Edwin Aponte, most Hispanics continue to be seen by the dominant
culture as exiles, aliens, and outsiders, regardless of their historical
connection to U.S. lands (~OOI :46-53). In light of this perception, the
community strives to preserve its dignity based on its understanding of
the human family. For Justo Gonzalez, to be fully human is to be-for-
others (1990: 131). In this scenario no one exercises power over others, for
that would lead to the dehumanization of everyone and the loss of our
for-othpmpss. \nl1l7.aln. ancl nthpr HispnnidLatinn/a scholan; such a.."
Ada Maria lsasi·Diaz (1993:34-54) and lsmael Garcia (1997:130-72)
affirm the human being in other ways. They express and affirm the value
of the human distinctively in community and in being-for-others. Sin is
the violation of that for-otherness and the violation of God's image in us,
which for Gonzalez is precisely the image of God's for-oUlerness. The
Hispanic/Latino/a affirmation of the oppressed minority dilTers from the
way the early church theologians affirmed the human being. While early
theologians affirmed the capacities of humans in their abilities to be like
God, their interpretation tended to focus on the physical and psychical
merits of the individual as a created being. They focused less on the
human as a social and relational being who, as a communal person,
renccls the image of Diosilo who cares for others in community as
exemplified in the life and praxis ofJesus of Nazareth.
From the perspective of the HispanidLatino/a community, the
Genesis texts can only be understood and interpreted from within the
context of a history of conquest, exile, and diaspora. This is also the
experience of the more recent immigrant community and the U.S. native-
born HispanidLatino/a community. Both share a history of
marginalization, exclusion, and indihrnity due to cultural, linh'1listic, and
relibrious roots ilnd affiliations. Renecting on this experience, Justo
Gonzalez and Ismael Garcia have interpreted the imago Dei construct
with an understanding that to be created ill Ihe image and likentss of God
affirms the human worth and dib'llity of aU people and, in particular,
those on the marbrins of society. For Gonz,llez, creation in the image and
likeness of God means the exercise of the creative power and love of God
after whom we have been created. As love, God's nature is being-for-
others, and to be fully human is to be for others in a praxis of love and
care.
The notion of the exiled community affinning its dihrnity in the face
of oppressive conditions is not unlike the Hebrew writers who affinned
God 15
the dignity of their community when they constructed the Genesis texts
of the imago Dri. They wrote those texts during or soon after the
Babylonian exile and captivity as a way of affimling their God-given
dib'llity and as a way of refuting the notion that only those in power were
of divine origin. This experience closely parallels the HispanidLatino/a
reality of exile and marbrinalization and the self.lmderstanding that
emerges from the encounter with the sacred. Whereas the exiled
Hebrews sang the songs of Zion by the waters of Babylon, the
Hispanic/Latino/a community sings songs or corilos (little choruses) that
affirm the experience of a living and liberating God. l
The community interprets the biblical texts and their songs of praise
in light of their experience of Diosito who, as being for-others, loves and
cares for them. This understanding of Diosilo is expressed most vividly
through a popular corilo known as "Tu has vmido a !b. ori/It/' ("You have
come down to the lakcshorc"). The lyrics expreM the understanding of
Diosilo as an intimate friend who calls us by name and invites us into the
service of the reih'll of God:
You have come down to the lakeshore
Seeking neither the wise nor the wealthy,
but only asking for me to follow.
RtJrain
Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes;
kindly smiling, you've called out my name.
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;
Now with you, I will seek other seas.
You know full well what I have, Lord:
neither treasure nor weapons for conquest;
just these my fish nets and will for working.
You need my hands, my exhaustion.
working love for the rest of the weary
a love that's willing to go on loving.
You who have fished other waters;
you, the longings of souls that arc yearning:
o loving Friend, you have come to call me.'"
According to Aponte, cori/os arc concrete vehicles that express a
hope. faith, and empowerment rooted in both the Bible and lived
experiences of the community. They give a voice to the hope of the
people and their faith in God. They allow the community the freedom to
'For an rxcrllcnl rxposilion or lhis cullum! symbol. set' Aponlt'. '"Cori105 as Activr
Symbols. ~ 1995:57--66.
'MTit AaJ _idllll IlJ lI"litf by Cesarro Gabarain; lr.ms.latcd rrom lhe onginat Spanish
by Medrlrin~ Forell Marshall.
, 6 Handbook of Latinalo Theologies

give voice to their understanding of Diosito in their own language. They

allow us to cross denominational barriers and racial and lan!,'Uage
boundaries as we recognize that we serve the same Lord and Diosito of
all.
In summary, HispanicslL.1.tinosJas undcrstand themselves to be
CHAPTER 2
created in the image and likeness of Diosito. This self-understanding is
most clearly revealed through the gift of language by which they know
and name themselves in light of their experience of a loving Diosito. The
popular contos capture this sense of the sacred Other who knows them
intimately and calls them by name. The HispanidLatino/a people
proclaim in many and diverse ways that in the community of the beloved
all people are welcome ,md no one is a stranger before Diosilo who is
both Amigo and AmantL Their faith in Diosito expressed through their own
cultural and religious symbols affirms and celebrates their understanding Jesus
of God who calls all people into a loving relationship with olbers.

• MICHELLE A. GONzALEZ

At 10:00 a.m., a loud lrumpel si!,'1lals the enlrance of Pilate onto

the stage to confront Jesus of Nazareth. From this point on, the
words and actions follow lhe gospel passion narratives, with San
Fernando parishioners playing the parts of the different
characters in the passion story. Pilate sends Jesus to Herod, who
in turn returns him to Pilate for judgment. After the crowd caUs
for the release of Barrabas, Jcsus is flogged and crowned with
thorns. Pilate presents the beatcn and brokcn Nazarene to the
people-that is to thc assembled crowd in San Fernandol
Jerusalem-who cry out for his crucifixion. The scene can only
be described as eerie: this is not an event that happened two
thousand years ago, but an event taking place today and in
which we are actively participating (Goizueta,I!)!)S:34).
With this haunting description of the Good Friday reenactment at
San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas, Cuban American
theologian Roberto S. Goizueta enters into the popular rituals
surrounding one of the most powerful illlHgCS in La.tino/a religiosity: the
crucified Jesus. The Jesus of Good Friday is a central christological
symbol within Latino/a theolo!,')'- This stcrns from a theolobrical
worldview that strongly emphasizes Jesus' humble ori!,rins, his prophetic
message, and his active presence in the present-day lives of Christians, in
particular his solidarity with the oppressed and mar!,rinalized. This strong

17
18 Handbook oj Lotin% Theologies
emphasis on Jesus' suffering and passion distinh'1lishes Latinos/as from
other Catholic ethnic h'TOUpS in the United States. As noted by Goizueta,
"If, among Euro-Americans, nominal Catholics are referred to as
'Christmas and Easter Catholics,' their U.S. Hispanic counterparts are
often called 'Ash Wednesday and Good Friday Catholics'" (W98:2-3).
The theological signillcance of this distinctive Latino/a understanding of
Jesus is the subject of Latino/a christologies.
Latino/a christologies emphasize Jesus' concrete historical reality
and its implications for our understandinh'S of Jesus today, a crucified
Jesus who reveals God's love for humanity and God's presence with an
advocacy for the poor. The Latino/a faith in the crucifiedJesus cannot be
found in the dogmas, official teachings, or theological treatises of
academic theoloh'Y, but instead is situated in the concrete faith and lives
of Latino/a communities. As noted by Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, "What
I ~'1linas helipve about Christ is not a matter of an applied doctrine, an
application of what the churches teach" (:l003: 158). This leads Marina
Herrera to conclude, "There is no dogma, no creed, no law that can
surpass the power of a suffering man-God, who had assumed his
powerlessness 10 show Ihe extent of God's mercy and love" (1993:76).
The popular faith expressions of Latino/a communities thus play a
fundamental role in Latino/a christologies, the starting point of Latino/a
theological reflection.
Several voices within the Latino/a community have examined the
crucified Jesus. I begin by examining the mesli~Jesus, perhaps the most
prevalent image found in Latino/a theology, which reveals a
fundamental connection between the historical particularity of the
incarnate Christ and the contemporary reality of U.S. Latinos/as. A
second important image is the Jesus of justice, depicted in solidarity with
the marginalized, where his prophetic message denounces hierarchical
structures of domination. Third, there is the image of Jesus who
accompanies Latino/a communities in their daily lives.
Mestizo Jesus
The gTOundbreaking contribution of the category of mesli;:,aje within
Latino/a theology cannot be underestimated. Born in a doctoral
dissertation written by Virgilio Elizondo, this theme is one of the central
theological loci within Latino/a theology. For Elizondo, mesti;:,aje is
representative of the border reality that characterizes the Latino/a
experience of being people "in between." The mestizo/a must not see her
or his racial and cultural mixing as a source for feelings of inadequacy.
Instead, Elizondo asserts, the mestizo/a reality, on the borders between
cultures, must be seen as tlle privileged place of God's revelation.
Mestizaje, as the lens through which Latinos/as experience reality,
becomes a methodological, anthropological, and christological category
within Latino/a theolob'Y'
Jesus 19
The major themes in Elizondo's christoloh'Y are outlined in his text,
GalileanJourney: 17u Mexican American Promi~e, in which he grounds his
christological reflection on Jesus' Galilean identity, giving Jesus' social,
cultural, and political particularity theolo&rical value. For Elizondo,Jesus'
identity as a Galilean is not aCcidental; it is revelatory of his life and
ministry: "Like every other man and woman, he was culturally situated
and conditioned by the time and space in which he lived .. Jesus was not
simply a Jew, he was a Galilean jew; throughout his life he imd his
disciples were identified as Galileans"'(I9KJ:4~)). A Galilean, Jesus was
not bom at the center ofJewish life and society, namely Jerusalem, but
on the border. Elizondo connects this marhrinal, border reality to the
contemporary context of Latinos/as, more specillcally Mexican-
Americans. As a mestizo figure, Elizondo contends, Jesus reveals the
border as the site of God's revelation so that the ambiguity and pluralism
that characterize mesli<,aje become key dimensions of God's rf'vf'lation.
The hybtidity of Galilee calls us to a new understanding of community
and consequently of church. Roberto S. Goizueta sees Elizondo's
christology as representative of a global Christianity that is no longer
centered in Europe-at the heart of which is the mestizo Christ and,
consequently, the mestizo church. In an increasingly globalized world, the
church must turn to the borders, nOI the centers of power, in an effort to
discover the true church (2000: ISO).
Jesus the liberator
For Latino/a theolob'Y,jesus' mestizo and border identity exemplifies
his solidarity with the marginalized, his liberative message for the poor
and oppressed, and the calling for Christians to be critical of dominant
sectors of society and power. Christian churches, however, have not
always embraced this central dimension of Jesus' memOly. As Marina
Herrera notes, "The message ofJesus has been dissected, expounded on
with clarity, eloquence and power; it has not been practiced with justice,
nor with love" (1993:73).
For Eliseo Perez Alvarez, Jesus is depicted as a liberator who
overcomes the walls and barriers that divide us. "One of the many
barriers that he brought down was the one separating the rich from the
poor ... Christ was incarnate in a poor person (Lk. :l::l4) to avoid
legitimizing the system that produced such social and economic
disparities" (I997::H). Jesus, incarnate in a poor man, takes the side of
those who are economically marginalized and denounces the systems
and structures that create this unjust society. Denouncing spiritualized
christologies that downplay his prophetic message, the christoloh'Y of
Latino/a communities emphasizes jesus' taking the flesh of a
marginalized person.
Within Elizondo's study of Jesus as mestizo-Galilean, two
methodolob>ical principles arise that inform a Iiberalionist christoIOf,'Y' The
20 Handbook 0/ Lotin% Theologies
first, entitled the Galilee principle, reads, "what human beings reject, Cod
chooses as his own" (1983:91). This, in tum, is linked with the Jerusalem
principle, "Cod chooses an oppressed people, not to bring them comfort
in their oppression. but 10 enable them 1.O comfort. transcend. and
transform whatever in Ihe oppressor society diminishes and destroys the
fundamental nature of human dignity" (Ibid.: 103). The symbolic
marginality of Galilee is linked to God's option for the powerless.
Luis Pedraja's christolo~,'y examines the complexity of language,
identity, and concrete experience. Pedraja'sJesus is one who stands in
solidarity with the oppressed. "Instead of a God who identifies with those
who seek to dominate us, we find a God who identifies with those who
suITer-who does not dominate but works with tenderness 10 empower
everyone" (1999b:45). Emphasizing the importance of language and how
the Spanish language shapes the Latino/a worldview, Pedraja highlights
the intimacy of Latino/a understandinb"S of Jesus and their relationship
with God. This is linked, in turn, to the Latino/a experience of Cod's
love, where God is seen in solidarity with oppressed communities. "Since
Jesus came from a place at the marb';n of society and because he
identified with those who were rejected and marginalized by society, we
feel that God understands us" (Ibid.:50). Popular religious practices
exemplify the significance of this solidarity and love for Latino/a
communities. Through the incarnation God transforms human history,
where God's love and justice prevail.
Marina Herrera has alTered a sustained reflection on christology in
light of Latina issues and concerns asserting that the starting point of a
Latina christolob'Y is the concrete faith experiences of Latinas. A Latina
christology must then move to a strong critique of the Western tradition
that accompanied the evangelization of the Americas. "An 'Americanist
critique'--done by the people of this continent, men and women, young
and old, Natives, European, African, and Asian descendents-must he a
critique ofall things European, including the Westernization ofJesus and his
message and the assumption that such Westernizalion is the only valid
interpretation of the salvific event of his life and death" (1993:82)..A
Latino/a christolob'Y must thus begin from the underside of Latm
American history, privile/:,';ng the voices of those who were victims of
European powers.
Following in the spirit of earlier quests for the historical Jesus, in his
The Q!Jest jOr the Cuhan Christ: A Historical Search, Miguel De L..1. Torre
offers a new quest, one framed by the contours and traditions of historical
and contemporary Cuban and Cuban-American cultures. De La Torre's
quest attempts to unearth the Cuban Christ, one shaped by various
important figures and movements within the Cuban ethos. De La To~e
concludes by elaborating his Ajia€o Christ. a vision ofJesus grounded m
the Cuban location and justice-oriented communities of faith. expressed
in Cuban art from a variety of artists. Abrain, the Jesus of justice plays a
Jesus 21
prominent role. Linked to this understanding ofJesus is the belief that
Jesus accompanies the oppressed throughout their struggles, never
abandoning them in their times of need.
Ada Maria lsasi-Diaz represents mujerislo theolob'Y's first attempt to
offer a christological reneclion. lsasi-Diaz's christolob'Y is inextricably
linked to social justice, placing an emphasis on a praxiological and
ethical understanding of jesucristo, in which diScipleship requires our
active participation in the kin-dom of Cod as it is realized here and now.
~AIl who commit themselves to proclaim with their lives and deeds the
kingdom of God are mediators of the kingdom" (2003: H(2). This
mediation is grounded in hwnanity's imago Dei and calls followers of
]esucrirto to realize Cod's kingdom concretely here on earth, though
never in its fullness. This commitment is informed by the concrete
struggles of the poor and oppressed. As highlighted by Goizueta, "In
Jesus' own cry of abandonment, and his intractable hope against hope,
we hear our own cry and discover our own hope" (1995: 184).Jesus walks
with those who suffer, and so must Christians today.
Jesus Who Accompanies
A key theme in Latino/a christolo/:,'Y is that the crucified Jesus
accompanies the Latino/a community in their struggles and suffering
(Elizondo 2000c:2~~-H9). The crucified, victimized Jesus reveals his
solidarity with marginalized peoples throughout history. The sulTering on
the cross is present in the contemporary sulTering of crucified peoples.
Roberto S. Coizueta holds that the foundation of the crucified Christ
of Latino/a popular Catholicism is a relational anthropolo/:,'Y that sees the
human, and consequentlyJesus, as essentially social in nature. The image
of the Via Crucis is exemplary of this point. "In the Via Cruds, Latinos and
Latinas affirm the truth of the Resurrection not as an event that,
subsequent to the Crucifixion, 'overcomes' or 'cancels out' the death of
Jesus, but as the indistinguishable love and solidarity that defines the V"W
Cruds itself, as Ihe act of 'accompaniment' that constitutes and empowers
us as persons and as a community of faith" (1998:3). The Latino/a
emphasiS on the crucifixion is not over and abrainst the resurrection, but
is instead the active, communal confrontation of suffering. The
resurrection is thus mediated through solidarity in suffering, in which
humanity is affirmed ill the face of injustice. The very accompaniment of
Jesus in the face of death affirms the resurrection, an eternal life after
death. The organic unity ofthe crucifixion and resurrection, in which one
does not surpass the other, is exemplified in the resurrected Jesus who
bears the wounds of his crucifixion. "The apostles acknowledge the
reality of the Resurrection, hut only os a reality that w1wiru marud by tlu
Crudjixz'on" (Ibid.:?). Latinos/as, as they accompanyJesus to the cross on
Good Friday, affinn the communal nature of our humanity and the
promise of life in the face of suffering and death.
22 Handbook of Latina/o Theologies
Conclusion
The image of the crucified Jesus best embodies the spirituality and
theology of L.'1tino/a communities throughout the United States. This
mestizo Jesus, one who has a preferential opLion for the oppressed and
accompanies them throughout their struggles, calls Christians to be
concrete disciples, ones who follow in Jesus' footsteps, "To walk with
Jesus and with the poor is to walk what'Jesus walks and where the poor
walk" (Goizuela 1995: 191). The crucified Jesus calls all Christians to a
fellowship with the victims of society, Having examined the foundational
contours of Latino/a christologics, I would like to conclude with three
areas for future scholarship. These are spaces where Latino/a theologians
can build on the work of their colleagues,
The first area is a critical analysis of Latino/a christology in light of
New Testament scholarship. The relationship between theologians and
scripture scholars is tenuous at best, yet a strong christo[o~;y must be
grounded in biblical scholarship. While the popular faith expressions of
Latino/a communities should remain a central locus for Latino/a
christological refiection, the New Testament witness of Jesus must also
playa pivotal role. The need for this type of dialob'lle is most clearly seen
when one reexamines the nature of Jesus' Galilean identity in light of
recent New Testament scholarship.
In his :.!OO::! Catholic Theology Society of America presentation,
"Good Fences and Good Neighbors? Biblical Scholars and Theologians,"
New lcstament scholar Jean-Pierre Ruiz explores the influence of
Elizondo's Galilean Journey on Latino/a systematic theolob'Y,1 Ruiz
critiques Elizondo's construction of Galilee, and Latino/a systematic
theology's uncritical acceptance of it, for drawing broad generalizations
that are at times embellished, Citing Eli7.0ndo's depiction of Galileans as
having a "warmer, more optimistic outlook on life," and a faith that was
"personal, purer, simpler, and more spontaneous," Ruiz notes that,
"Whether intentionally or otherwise, in these lines Elizondo lapses into a
ruralist romanticism verging on anti-intellectualism -a rare and
unfortunate combination for a volume that began as a doctoral
dissertation." Ruiz also highlights that, through Elizondo's uncritical use
of Western European biblical scholarship, sections of Gali/ean Journey
border on anti:1udaism. While not discarding Elizondo's mestko Jesus,
Ruiz docs call for a closer examination of the biblical notions underlying
this christology, and for more explicit collaborations between theologians
and biblical scholars. On this note I agree with Ruiz wholeheartedly,
A second area that is in need of critical development is the area of
Latino/a christolob'Y itself. While the centrality of the crucified Christ in
the faith and religious practices of Latino/a communities is clear, the
'Paper presenlL>d althe :woa Annual Convention of the Catholic Theological Society
of America. Unpublished paper citcU wilh lhe permission of the aUlhor.
}ous 23
centrality of christology within Latino/a theology ,', nOl Th' , <
I ' " . IS IS seen, Jor
~xamp e,. In the absence of a christoloh';cal article in the Latino/a
IOtroduclJon to Roman Catholic systematic theolohT From the Heart of
Our P~oPle (£Spin and Diaz HJ99), In their emphasis on the concrete faith
exp.enences of Latino/a communities, Latino/a christologies have
aVOIded some of the "classic" christological themes, such as atonement
the sca~dal of particularity. triumphal ism, and the question of
r~emptl\le suffering. While some would argue that the language and
~lscourse of these. christologieal themes are couched in a Western
Eur~pean theoloh'lCal. construction (and thus inconsequential to a
Latmola theology), f disagree, Latino/a theologians are still theologians
ones that~for better or worse-are steeped ',n the '" t E •
hi' .. • nes em uropean
t eo og'lcaJ t~dltlOn, To ignore centr.U christological concepts that have
sha.rect the d.lscou~e of systematics is to isolate the theolob';cal impact of
LalJno/a chnstologH's.
La ' A final are~ for future scholarship is christological reflection from a
" lUla perspectlv,:. Indeed, ever since Rosemary Radford Ruether asked,
f Can a male savIor
' save. women"'". (199'-1'11/,-)
, .. , ch nsoogyasueena
-I 1 h L
undame~tal dl~lo~ue pomt between feminist theoloE,>ians, Indeed, even
Ada .Mana I~SI-DJaz, ~ho once articulated that Jesus does not hold a
cenllal pl.ace Ill.the beliefs of Latinas, has recently recanted, arguin for
more chnstologlcal reflection. 1 "We need to develop a Christol t. tt!
related to the historical Jesus more than to the ecclesial Christ, ~tf:.t is ~l~~
s,o mU~h relate~ t? the past but rather grounded in the present"
(200lb.142). lsasl-Dlaz then recognizes the need for a christoloh'Y within
her theology,. nol only because .~f its role in traditional theolob'Y, but also
for ~.ose L.·umas who are familiar with and use the Bible in th . ~ 'th
tradlllons, elr al
"To walk wilh Jesus is thus to walk with the wrong rsons 'n th
wr~~g .places" ,(Coizuet.1 1995:20:1), The crucified Jes~ of La:ino/:
re~l~oslly . remmds Christians of the dangerous memory of Jesus'
mlOlstry, hfe, and .d.eath. This Jesus calls us to be in solidarity with
oppressed commumtles, follOWing in his footsteps and accompanying the
dowl~trodden, For Latinos/as the importance of popular religious
practices demonstrates the active dimension of this faith, in which one
does not only believe one also acts "The Ch 'I f La ' ,
b" ' . ns 0 tlllO passIon
sym ohsm IS a tortured, suffering human being... ln his passion and
death he has co~e to be in solidarity wilh all those throughout history
who have also mllocently suffered at the hands of evildoers" (Espin
nOl~:i:~:~I~'::J~k:: ~t~~Ihat'I~A n~ticcable number '." Hispanic WOlll en either du
relevalll in «heir li"\"S.w In he'r r:':no~: 10 t::: :~hsJderhh"~. Or his diVinity somclhing
0
continues. "The Hi.'> nic Women wh _ ' . .er.s oc 'ng stalemenl. lsasi- DiM;
"cry liul.. about JeSU~J1d do not prn'':h ,. ~st(IJan~tYD~s, Slmdl'ly" part of lhcir ~Ililurc know
Ch
'tilher thought is. clearly seen in the aOO,,-,-"
m :>ast·h', 1M;I an ' I :mUWn , . . . ~,
1')Xg'bll)
,,- h"
".e S lit
~, L",' C I'1S 0 O!>'1ca e:ssay.
24 Handbook 01 Lotinolo Theologies
1997:72). As disciples, Christians are therefore called to follow Jesus to
those marginali7..ed spaces. On Good Friday, as Lalinos/as accompany
Jesus to his crucifixion, they are reminded and co~forted by the fact tha.t
they do not suITer alone. The symbolic accompaniment. of th~ ~Ul Cruw
is a reminder of the constant accompaniment ofJesus III their hves and (HAPTER 3
struggles.

The Spirit
• LUIS E. BENAVIDES

Pneumatological Foundations for Latinos/as in the U.S. Urban

Context
In the history of Western theoloh'Y, the doctrine of the Spirit has been
characteristically neglected. Its first references early in the second
century are sporadic and indirect. 1 From AUh'llstine to later medieval
scholars the doctrine of the Trinity provides a general framework for
christological concern and pneumatology remains unnoticed (Rusch
198~:8-28; Olson and Hall 2002: 15-52). The Councils of Nicea (325
c.r..), Constantinople (::IIH), Ephesus (4::11), Chalcedon (451), and Toledo
(S89) function as witnesses of such chrislological and Trinitarian
proclivities.
During the Reformation the major theological concern was God's
saving h>Tace, in which the Spirit appeared as aiding in the individual's
salvation process. From the Enlightenment to the late nineteenth century,
German idealism and Liberal theoloh'Y brought new interpretations of
the Spiril.~ For instance, G. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) abstracted the Spirit
to the point of establishing the Spirit as a pantheist principle upon which

'References 10 the Spirit an: found in the writings of Ihe apostnlic fathers ,",ch as
Clement of Rome. Pseudo-Clemenl. Ignatius of Antioch, l'oI)'Qrp or Smyrna. the Didache,
and the Epistle of Barnabas (Burgess. 19114: 16-:.1 I).
'Amerins. ~ .. &.,.,.,,,,.IdLlI.linI tlOOO}; Heron, A Cnrl." Gf ProlaliJrll ~ (1980);
\\elch, ProlaliJ'IIt 71ut1f&lu I'll lit, NilUltnIlh Cnrt." (t!"l); and p..umenberg. S~1iT
~. ,·oL I (!!.l88).

2S
26 Handbook of Latina/o Theologies
Christians are to unveil bom God and human history. Spirit, and not
substance as was claimed by Spinoza, is the key to understand me
unfolding human hislOry.
Theological luminaries such as Karl Barth (HHHi-1968) and. ~a~l
Tillich (IH8G-19G.'i) reoriented the academic discourse about the Spmt 10
the twentieth century by referring to the Spirit as the !,river and suslainer
of life. At the congregational level, the pneumatology of the twentieth
century is associated with the development of the Pen~ecostal a~d
Charismatic churches in me Third World, though the root IS located III
the United States. This movement has been (a) identified with people
who are socially poor, (b) resisted by the academy, and (c) focused on
possessing the Spirit rather than defining it (Heron 191'13: 130-:36;
Hol1enweger 19HH:4S7-9;J.). Notwithstanding, this research recogmzes
iliat the ministry of the Spirit is not circumscribed to this movement.
It seems to me much more plausible in temlS of formulating a
coherent perspective of the Spirit for today, to open up a new
pneumatological discussion and advance the ~U?jecl from a. Latino~a
viewpoint by identifying the ministry of the Splnt among LatIOOS/as In
the U.S. urban context. No church or movement can claim ownership of
the Spirit, because pneumatolob'Y is relational. !hat. is shown in biblical
references such as John 4:23, ;J.4; 14: 17; 1.1:26; 1h:S-15; and Ro~ans
H: 16-26. In other words, the Spirit works in both God and human Sides.
In this sense, a functional pneumatology can be applied to Latino/a
context so that it may be asked how Latinos/as can profit from the Spirit's
ministry. . . _ centers but also are a prerequisite for communal participation. They
Latino/a theologians have been discussing the plight of LatIOOs/as III
the U.S. urban context frolll social, political, ethical, and theolobrical
viewpoints. The contributions of Latino/a ~)rotcstan.t and Cath~li.c
theologians have been numerous, but a cohestve doclnne ~~ the SPirit
has been missing in Latino/a theology.l This study of the Spmt proposes
a pneumatological approach to the Latino/a in order to rene~ the
understanding of the Spirit and the Spirit's ministry among Latmo/a
Christians in me U.S. urban context. In the light of the above, this
research relies on Tillich's SystnMtie Theology (196:.J) to develop a
relatioml..l pneUlnatology becausc his ca((~!,'"Ories are congruent with much
Latino/a Christian life experience and address questions such as: Why
are Latinos/as in need of thc Spirit within the U.S. urban context? And
how can Latinos/as identify and employ the Spirit in the U.S. urban
context?
'For instance see Gonzalez and ~hldonado I'erez, Inlrodurlio1l 10 Chris/ian Tlrrology,
2003. III it, the d~trine of the Spirit i~ ab_-ent; there is nn concern <It all to addre~s either
historically or doctrilull\y the Spirit
The Spirit 27
The Spirit and the latinola Christian as a Social Being
We cannot deny the fact that human beinh"S were created to exist in
social contexts, but humans dialectically exist in a sociological tension
between the self and the social context. The self and the social context
coexist; and even though the context influences the self, the self is not
bound to but rather participates in the social context. The self exists as an
individual within, and separated from, the context at the same time. This
tension is heightened in the urban context where Latino/a Christians
experience this situation in the oppressive and challen!,ring urban
context. Amidst this situation, Latino/a Christians face society with the
expectation lhat they will be recognized, have a position, and be
accepted in the U.S. urban contexts in which they interact and reside.
Latino/a Christians are living under what Tillich calls "radical
doubt," seeking for existential meaning while experiencing ontological
anxiety as they live (1963:227-28). They want to experience social
presence. Tillich predicted what Latinos/as want and expect from the
urban context many years ago in his view of the three functions of life,
which establish the role of difference in community--or otherness. These
functions are self-integration, self-creativity, and self-transcendence, and
can be applied to the Latino/a's expectation of recognition, position, and
acceptance. The understanding of these three functions of life is
fundamental to the understanding of the Latino/a's dependence on the
Spirit for survival, resistance, and liberation in the U.S. urban context.
Such functions of life not only make possible the realization of individual
establish the Latino/a Christian as a social being.
First, Ihe Latino/a Christian's rccognition has lo do with self-
integration, which is relaled to the polarity of individualization and
participation (Ibid.:174-77, WH).' In this function of life, the Latino/a
Christian is established apart from the world but concurrently having a
personal world. This, Tillich claims, "liberates the self from the bondage
to the environment," and when "life inlc!o'Tates itself in the dimension of
spirit," a moral act occurs and then we have a "personality wimin a
society" (Ibid.:38). In this way a self is differentiated from other selves
and this becomes the basis for morality and social ethics. In this
differentiation every Latino/a Christian is reCOb'11ized as anolher moral
individual possessing an internal world but belonging to an external
world or to a community of selves. Tillich confimlS this when he points
out that a person lives within a setting but possesses a world (Ibid.:38).
This web of social relationships must be enacted with a sense of love
(agQ~ that enables the whole community to unite with a sensc or justice
that recognizes other selves.
'In this <::ontext, polarity IlleanS th'll both elemcnts are interrel'lted alld
interdcpendent; thai is to say, one fUIl<::tions to determine the nther.
28 Handbook of Latina/o Theologies
Second, the Latino/a Christian's acceptance has to do with self-
creativity, which is related to the polarity of dynamics and fonn
(Ibid.: 178-82). In this function of life, the Latino/a Christian is accep~ed
or rejected by a culture as long as the Latino/a Christian finds meanlll.g
in participation in his or her own culture or anothe~ culture. In this
context., meaning is found in art, language, concepts, Images, symbols,
and tools. For instance, Tillich remarks that "[a) culture livels) in such
meaninb"'S' The meaning-creating power of the word depends 00. th.e
diITerent ways in which the mind encounters reality ...AII this IS
continuous activity of the self-creation of life in producing a universe of
meaning" (Ibid.:69). If the Latino/a Christian does not make an eITort to
grow and employ the meaning-creating ~ower in the urba~ context, he
or she will be prevented from growmg and be dommated by a
monocultural view of reality. The Latino/a Christian's acceptance or
rejection lies in his/hpr ability to function as a bicultural being in a
context in which the meaning of his/her own culture and the Anglo
culture are present at the same time without dissolving one into the
other.
The Latino/a Christian can transcend both cultures when new
meanings are integrated. When they abando~ their ~wn culture,
Latinos/as face uprooting or separation from therr nurtunng networks,
resulting in cross-cultural shock. But when Latinos/as arrive in a new
culture they face a language barrier, segregation, dearth of support
systems, and competing ultimate concerns. This change deman.ds that
Latinos/as develop new cultural meanings paralleled to thelT o~
through self-creativity without abandoning the Latino/a cultural traIts
and values.5 When this change is achieved with a balance between old
and new cultures, Latinos/as are integrated into the U.S. urban context.
When lhe cultures are unbalanced, the Latino/a Christian experiences a
lack of a sense of belonboing, wilh accompanying frustration, alienation,
racial conOict, mistrust., suspicion, impotence, and burnout. The language
of self-creativity must be integrated into the Latino/a Christian's
theological literacy. . the creation. The impact of the Spirit or the Presence of God is what
Third the Latino/a Christian's position has to do WIth self-
transcend~nce, which is relatcd to the polarity of freedom and dcstiny
(Ibid.: IH2-Hfi). In this function of life, the L.1.tino/a Christian is positioned
in relation to self, the urban context, and God. Tillich claims that "to be
awarc of one's self is a way of being beyond one's self" (lbid.:9) and
refers to pleasure and pain as characterizing "the state of bcing berond
one's self in tenns of self-awareness" (Jbid.:92). In pleasure, the Latmo/a
Christian is the subject leading Lo creative eros, but in pain the Latino/a
'FJdin Villafane elabomtes a Hi.spanic profile to dt'tt'ffilinc Ihe Hispanic .being, called
lIle ~Homos Hispanicu.s. ~ Such a profil.. is characterized by eight culture Imlts and value
orientalions. namely, passion. personalism. paradox or the soul. oommuOlly, ntmm4J,
musical elan, -fiesta,- and ramily. See Villabfie, 77rt UbnrIII"l Sfnnl. 199.i.
The Spirit 29
Christian is an object. Therefore, pain is of relevance for Latino/a
Christians. Tillich point.s out that pain is "the awareness of one's self
made into an object deprived of self-detennination" (lbid.:92). When the
Latino/a Christian is deprived of self-detennination, this result.s in pain.
This pain emerges as a result of objectification: the Latino/a Christian is
prevented from being somebody. Sometimes, however, Latinos/as have
the opportunity for self-dctennination, but because of their inability to
create a new cultural meaning they do not develop such a position within
the urban context. They remain invisible and without identity,
degenerating self-transcendence into self-deception.
Because all scriptural pneumatoloh'Y is a relationship between the
Spirit and the human spirit, the Latino/a Christians' self-integration, self-
creation, and self·transcendence are made possible solely through the
Spirit. At the same time, under the dimension of the human spirit, the
three functions of life impact the Lltino/a self, the U.S. urban context.,
and history (lbid.:2(i(), 274, ;j46). Ultimately, the three functions of life
establish existential individuality as a precondition to functioning in U.S.
urban contexts and are preparatory for experiencing transcendence and
unity with the Spirit. Conversely, an inadequate understanding of these
functions of life can result in a false individuality characterized by
escapism in which the particulars, ways of being, and abstractions of our
social existence are avoided or repelled.
The Spirit's Ministry among latino/a Christians
Latino/a Christians seek more than survival, resistance, and
liberation. They require an identity as individuals and as a community
that Tillich calls a "search for Spiritual Presence" (lbid.:2tiO). For this
reason, only the Spiritual Ilresence enables true liberation and identity.
How can the Spiritual Presence affect the Latino/a Christians, and how
can they identify the Spirit's work among them? The answer comes in
four statements.
First, the Spiritual Presence is the carryover of Cod's relatedness with
fulfills creation (lbid.:2H3), but lllUSt not be understood as coming from
outside, leaving cerlain effccts within human bcinbrs. This impact is one
of mutual immanence (ibid.: 114, 276) and means that whatever is held in
L.1.tino/a Christian existence is held concurrently with the Spiritual
Presence. Latinos/as can experience such impact "ecstatically" when they
are "being grasped by the Spiritual Presence" (Ibid.: 112). Because all
human beings are in some degree related to God, all L.1.tino/a Christians
are equally in some deb'Tee impacted by the Spiritual Presence. Since, as
Tillich asserts, "the Spirit b'Tasps the spirit.," the act of being grasped does
not depend on Latinos/as but on the Spiritual Presence (lbid.:276). The
Spirit's impact is active upon religion, culture, and morality in such a way
that Latinos/as are included even when they are unaware of the Spiritual
30 Handbook oj l.otinolo Theofogies
Presence. The Spirit does not come and go capriciously as an abnormal
disoriented force, but dwells and remains within the Latino/a Christian.
Second, the Spiritual Presence is the carryover of transformation.
Tillich interprets the impact of the Spirit as "inspiration" (breathing) and
as "infusion" (pouring) in order to emphasize that the Spirit is the
"meaning-bearing power" (Ibid.: liS). If this is true, Latino/a Christians
have a powerful tool for survival, resistance, and liberation. Each
encounter with the Spiritual Presence in ecstatic experiences is
transformative. Old patterns of behavior can be reinforced, dismissed, or
replaced by new meaninbrs. This transformation occurs to individuals and
to groups such as the L."ltino/a Christian community (Ibid.: 115). Tillich's
approach supports this .dea by describing how theJewish prophets acted
under the impact of the Spirit to prevent the corruption of the Jewish
relibrion. Likewise, the impact of the Spirit can stimulate the rise of
prophetic voices thnt chunb'"C the destiny of the Latino/a communities in
the United States.
Third, the Spiritual Presence is the carryover of sanctification.
Something happens once the Spiritual Presence has grasped the Latino/a
Christian's spirit. A process toward maturity or sanctification in Christian
life occurs that affirms that there are no perfect human beings and that
our liberation is "fragmentary" in existential life. Four principles
characterize this process of maturation or sanctification under the
influcnce of the Spirit (lbid':~:'H, ~:~7, ~fi9). The first principle is an
increasing awareness that compels the Latino/a Christian to grow by
evaluating the conflicts around him/her and finding ways to rcsolve
them. Through this principle the L."ltino/a Christian is called to face life
situations with coumge (Ibid.). The second principle is an increasing
freedom that results from a reunion with the Spiritual Ilresence. This
facilitates increasing means of survival, resistance, and liberation as the
Latino/a Christian is released from imposed statutes that diminish
human freedom (lbid.:232). The third principle is increasing relatedness
where the Latino/a Christian is called to strengthen relations toward
him/herself and others with maturity. Here ;"self-elevation," ""self·
humiliation," and "self-sedusion" mllst be eschewed (lbid.:~:-J3). The
fourth principle is an increasing self-transcendence that causes the
L."ltino/a Christian to approach his or her ultimate concern (God)
devotionally (lbid.::23S). When the Latino/a Christian is determined by
the Spirit and not by the values of society, a movement toward maturity
takes place. In self-transcendence the L."l.tino/a Christian is called to
acknowledge that the Spirit works in both sides of the divine·human
relationship. There is an immediate presence of God in which the Spirit
is for the human spiri!. Once the Latino/a Christian gains knowledge
about the immediate Spirit presence, such knowledge will empower the
Latino/a Christian with endurance and hope for the future and a
justification for a struggle in the present. Fourth, the Spiritual Presence
The Spirit 31
has a soteriological role as the carryover of salvation. Tillich conceives of
the Spiritual Presence as the one that "conquers the ambib'\lities of life
under the dimensions of the spirit" (Ibid.: 109). This also means that
salvation, or healing, affects the human spirit thai he describes as the
;"first fruits" of the New Being, which isJesus as the Christ. Although life
under the impact of the Spirit is an unambiguous life, the Latino/a
Christian is still an existential being; and the impact of the Spirit does not
sllspend either sickness, death, or the presence of evil in the world
(lb;d.'277).
In summary, Latino/a Christians must realize that no one can live by
dispensing with the Spirit in a multicultural and multieUlIlic inner city.
The three functions of life (self-integration, self-creativity, and self·
transcendence) are part of the human condition and are brought to
meaning by the Spirit. They arc the pneumatological foundation of
'.atino/a Christians' way of being in the U.S. urban context. Each one of
them is construed dialectically between the self and the world to achieve
identity in spite of the negativities we find in society. The Spirit gives
courage, meaning, and value through a relationship with the Latino/a's
spirit, which always 10nb'1i for a more holistic way of living.
As recipients of the impact of the Spirit, Latino/a Christians must
realize that they are not alone in overcoming the problems they face
daily in the U.S. urban context. The Spirit is still at work today-as
vivifier, liberator, and even as judge-aiming: to provide power and
enable the Latino/a Christian to change him/herself and society at large.
The Spirit provides the foundation for being in the world and is the
divine help for liberation, resistance, and survival in the U.S. urban
context.

CHAPTER 4
The Trinity
• ZAIDA MALDONADO PEREZ
Introduction
Focus on the meaning of the Godhead from a u..tinalo perspective is
a fairly recent undertaking. The Person of ~hrist, especially u,nderstood
as the Galilean or mestizo Christ, has dommated the theologIcal arena.
Among L.'llino/a charismatic and Pentecostal fa,ilh communities, the
person and function of the Holy Spirit has been b'lven a more prevalent
role. Mary, or, more specifically. the Virgen Guadalupe (or LtI Virgen de ltJ
Caridad del Cobrt, La Inmaculada Conapdon among others), has played a
critical role within Roman Catholicism. I Liberation theology's refocus on
IS ixlCl Garcia. a Rmmlll Catholic Iht'Ologian. identifies Lati1l0/~ foclls on Christ as one
of the three marke.-s of a (U.s.) Hispanic l'rinila~~n Ih('()I~'Y in h~s .essa~. MUmlcd Slates
H" ic and Mainstream Trinitarian Theolugies. l11e other twO dl§llllgUlshmg marks_are~
inU:'::'onis. Mthe difficulties in profiling and imaging the Spirit in t~m l~hc ~ht'o~pes!
and, Mthe seminal hermeneutical dalum repre5Cnted by the Marian ~lmellSlon m Hl s P"'.'1C
theology and prayer,· The fint marker bridgei doctrinal diVides beh.'een f",th
communities. The other Iwo markers. howl""er, ar" particularly rep~nt:lI1\'t' of a
Hispanic Roman Catholic perspt"dive-especial1y as practi<:ffi and beheved lhrough
popular religion (I!.I!):I:~J.ll,
32
The Trinity 33
the Trinity as the God of historj and of 10 cotidiaml can be given some
credit for the recent Latina/o discussion on the Santa Trinidad The
reappropriation of this often neglected early church understanding of the
Trinity as the one God who is thrice prescnt in thc world provides an
important corrective both to modernity's overemphasis on a triumphalist
Christ of faith and to philosophy's emphasis on a Godhead that is
transcendent and therefore distant or aloof. In addition, U.S, Latino/a
theologians have challenged U. S. Latinos/as and non-Latinos/as alike to
reread the Bible through "Hispanic eyes."
This drive to reclaim the Latino/a experience as a valid and even
critical contribution to the church's thcological discourse and mission
shook the foundations of a "one size fits all" theology that, for too long,
had been suffering from hermeneutical scotosis.' Hence, advancing
scholarship beyond modernity's grip has not been the ultimate drive
behind Latiuu/a theological emphases on christolo/:;y, the Viq,rin Mary,
and the Trinitarian God of history. Lurking behind this impulse is the
need to rediscover, uncover, and recover a gospel that empowers and
liberates us beyond merely otherworldly hopes, This gospel invites and
challenges us to participate in the present epiphanies of a Trinitarian
h'Tace that includes 10 cotidia'lo, and addresses our situation and our so·
called "mundanc" luchas in lhe here and now. This essay will consider
Latino/a refledion on the Trinity and its ramifications for ministry and
for daily living-or 10 cotidiano-especially through the Latino/a concept of
ftmilia.
J.-rhal God is a God of hislory is especially affim.ed through the incarnalion, life, and
death of the Son.Jesus.. While Gtxl"s own 5e1r-n:velalion in human flesh is 5eminalto all
mainstream Trinitarian IheokJgies. their emphasis un the life, dealh. and suffering of Christ-
o\'er ;q,'llinst mainstream emphasis on Ihe di\'in~ and resurrected Christ or the ~emply
cros·!t-is axiomatic in Lalino communities. Si:<to Garcia points ~ally to the ~ion
plays wherein God's sulTering and death reveal nol only Ihe presence of God in Christ in
~sacred I;me~ and Msacrcd space but the \'ery basis for a community's ability lO relate to
w
God. MThe broken humanity ofJesus slands 'IS a sacrament of thc brokenness of ,he body
of the Hi~panic cormllunities, Je~us the Chrisl i~ our brother in sor,.ow alld oppression, and
we can luuch him. mourn with him, die with him, and yes, also hope with h;m~ (lbid,:91).
w
'The role of "10 «JtidiaRo as a paradigm for doing theolo,,')' has espt.'Cially been
developed and emphasi...w by Maria Pilar Aquino 19'J'):39. and Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz.
199'1:11-52. I will be using the lem. U, «Jtidul1lo in the broader sense to include our
eng-J.gemenl in th~ daily nilly-grilt)' of existence and the synergy between that engagement
and its impad upon th~ daily life,
'MScOl<>5i~M (KOIoma) refen to a blind or dark spot in th~ visual field. I am using Ihe
term Msc::otosis Mhe,.,., as Ihal blind spot or ~bi...t Ih:1I narroW!! our view and Iherefore, also,
our interpretalion,
34 Handbook oj Lalina/o Theologies
The Trinity for Understanding Existence
"Trinitarian" theology professes that God is God Ihe Father
(Mother/Parent),~God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; they are Ihree
in one, "one essence, distinguished in three persons." Trinitarians, for
instance, believe with Gregory of azianzus that the lriune God is
"divided indivisibly... and [that) they are conjoined dividedly. For the
Godhead is one in three, and the three are one" (Lossky 1976:44-67,
passim). This triadic formula goes against the tritheistic and modalist
teachint,'S that developed, especially, during the second and third
centuries.1> It addressed the critical need to explain and defend the
Christian faith against charges of polytheism hurled at Christians by early
church critics and detractors. The writers of the creeds, borrowing from
the philosophical language of their lime, affirmed the worship of one
God while proclaiming the full divinity of each of the three persons of lhe
Godhead. 7 Unlike the early church, however, L..1.tino/a focus on the
Trinity does not have an apologetical aim. K Our focus is not all defending
the faith, but rather in understanding its meaning from the perspective of
what it means to be jamilia (family), from 10 cotidiano and our luchas
(struggles, battles). Hence, it is an existential aim with practical
considerations for life and ministry. Latino/a theolobrians turn to the
nature of God as Trinity because we believe it offers us some clear
directives-as well as challenges-for understanding who we are, and how
we are to live and relate to each other and the world. We want to know
not "how" God is "three persons in one" but what it means that the "three
act as one," or, to posit it differently, what it means that "the one acts as
three." How does this tri·personal unity empower our communities?
What might be some of the theolot,rical, ecclesiological, sociopolitical,
Like many cullures influenc(.'(( and/or defined by p"lriarchy, mo!t Latinos/as alw
ha~e problems referring In God as ~Mother.M It has also to du .....ith a lileral reading of
scnpture, even when a lilernl henneneutic i$ not unifonnly emplored. When referring to
the .....ork of Ihe early church. I .....iIl be tnle to the era and use MFather.~ Ilo.....ever. in other
instances. I will use "!'arenC or ~God th" 1';lrenC to fl'fl'"r to the rc!atiollal aspect of the
Trini,,!"-.. .
lnthelsm leaches that there are three scp"rate beings in the Godhead, three separate
gods. Modulislll holds that there is only "ne pNsnn in the Godhead who revealed itself in
three modes, all Father. Son. and I 'oly Spirit. There were vario"s forms of lllo{hl1islll (also
called &lbcHianism).
7ThI' Nicelle Cre<--d (:I2.C, C.L), in the form of a confession, affirms the church's belief
in t.he divinity ofCln;sl and. therefore, :dso in (I Trinitarian God, Hence, ag;linst the Arian
belief Ihat Jesus had been crealed by God before time and i~ subordinate to God. the
Nicene Creed profe~ Ihal Jesus Chrisl is ~from the same sub~lance of Ihe Falher, God
from God. Li~,'hl from Light, lrue God from tnle God. beb'Ouen. not made, of one sub5tanc...
fllomoolU;flSj wilh the !-·ather. ~
"Christians fOlllld Ihemselves having 10 give ..·:uT.iUl1 for their belief thai Ihe Son is c0-
equal, and co·eternal wilh God and is God. Borrowing a term from philosophy. th"')" arb'Ued
tha~ Christ is "?f the same substance~ (A"moolUiosj with God. This t~) argued "'"fl"'CiaIl)
ab'alml the Anans III Ihe founh centuf)·. The Arialls argued Ihal Chri!t was "of like
substance· (40mlllllari"osj ..;th God.
The Trinity 35
economic ramifications of serving and imitating a Cod whose very
essence is diversity in unity and unity in diversity? What docs it mean
that in lhe communion ofthe persons ofthe Trinity each abides in, abides
with, and works through one anolher? Or, put in other lerms, how does
th.e prrichQTttic life of the Trinity address the need for solidarity among,
With, and through those who seek justice and peace for all?
Although focus on understanding the meaning of the Trinity stems
from present, existential concerns, Latinaslos glean from the insighLs we
have inherited. We appropriate this legacy, though not uncritically, as an
im~rtant h~uristic tool. The eternal pm·chorttic life of the Trinity, to
whICh we Will refer below, is one such legacy from which L.."l.tino/a
theologians have drawn important analot,ries for ministry among, and
with, Latinos/as. Scripture, as the primary source of Trinitarian
revelation, is read through the Hispanic notion of jamilia, our experience
of mestizajl (6E-HHfIiHJj, Illcho, and the daily nillY-b'Titty of life that we call
10 colidiano or el meof/o. These will be explained further.
The Trinity as La Santa Familia
One of the ways the early church sought to explain the Trinity was
through apophatic lant,'1.mge, that is, by stating what God was not. Thus,
the So~ was not the Falher, the Father was not the Son, the Holy Spirit
was neither, and so on. While this helped to distint,'Uish the persons from
each other, it also implied a unity based on a filial relationship between
them. Thus, the Father is related to the Son as Father, the Son as begotten
of the Father, and the Holy Spirit as common to both and uniting Ihe
three as the bond of love. 10 Among Latinalo Christianity, this emphasis
on the Trinity as familia is attributed largely to Roman Catholic
spirituality. Indeed, to refer to the Trinity as Liz Sagrada or Santa Familia
among Protestants already distinguishes one as calOlico/a. Protestant
reticence in referring to the Trinity as Liz Santa Familia renects the age·
old theological tension between the failh communions over the role of
Mary. Although official Roman Catholic doctrine refers to the
composition of the Trinity as "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," "popular"
L.."l.tinalo Roman Catholicism'sll representation of La Sagrada Familia also
"See Elizondo. 771t FIIIII" IJ Mtsl~ mllll. Sec also my eS1iaY. MU.S. lIispanic/Latino
ldelll:!l. and l'rolesl~nl Expcricn«·: :1Il0:i.
Augusl~ne believed th~lthe concept of lo~e. ror instance, not ollly provided the way
10 Ilndel'!itaIldmg God... ho IS love, bUI also poInted 10 thl' (.'xistencc of .....,me traCt' of the
Ttinitr,. _ . , ..
. See Sun~ Garoa.$ defilllt.lOll of popular religion or religiosity as ~the set of
expenences. behefs and nluab whIch more-or-Iess petiphef'a! human b'TOlIf" create. assume
and develop...lo find an acass 10 God and salv.i1lioll which chey fed they cannot find in
...hallh... church and soc:ie(y prest:1Il as normaLi,·e" (1992:30).

36 Handbook 01 Lotin% Theologies
tends to include Mary.u Other references to Mary as "co-redemptrix,'"
for instance, are problematic for Protestants. N.everthele~, the model of
the Trinity as La Santa Familia has greattheologJcal potentl~ for the~logy
and ministry. For instance, the 1~inilY as fl!milia resonat:l~ With a Latm~/a
sociocentric organic (versus an egocentnc conlractual ) underst~ndl~g
of itself. This category, from cultural anthropology, describes a society 10
which individuals, by and large, "find lheir meaning through their. place
in a complicated network of relations." Latinos/as a.r~ born .not Ju~t to
lheir immediate family, but to an extended ftml!lO of tfOS, pnmos,
comtJdres, compadres, and a pULbJo--'dll of whom are expected to. ~Iay a
critical role in the socialization of the individual. Indeed, ftml!lO and
pULbbJ are often used synonymously:' These relations are not on~y "prior
to lhe individual," they define her/him (Gonzalez, 2001 :67). The
significance of a pueblo and familia identity becomes even more
pronounced in lhe U. S., where our struggle for self-delinition as
individuals and as a people becomes an incessant, and often
exasperating, duel between what others say we are and what we
understand to be true of ourselves.
But, emphasis on lhe familial relations in lhe ~rinity d~s ~ore lhan
just provide Latinas/os with a famil~a~ or coll~q~lal way of
understanding and conceiving La San/a Tnnuiad. The Tn~llty as La. Sanla
FamiliIJ affirms and renders holy the Lalino/a concepl..lon of ~lIlg .as
being-injamilia. Being as bdng-infamilia means that. we perceive life
through the lens of relationships. This lens is far-reachmg and .e~braces
more than those of the same bloodline, race, and/or ethmclty. The
invitation to be familia extends to anyone with a com":,on experience of
conquisla, marbrinalization, ludIa., and, especially, the deSire and need to be
in solidarity. One does not need to be Uitinalo ~ b~ dee~e~ a part of La
familia. One does, however, need to be in sohdanty with Its goals for
"In 7rinity and Soritty. L('O,mrdo Hoff rI·fe... 10 Ma~ as.h~~ing becn.. "pl~e\l~laliZ.~d: by
the Holy Spirit. I-laving come down un Mary. Ihe Holy Sp,nt pneumallzed her. t~kt1lg on
human fOnll in her. in Ihe same manner as Ihe 5011 who. in a pcl1iOnal and tl~lnlIS~~~a~~~
manner. sct up his tent amon&sl liS in lhe fib'!lre orJesns of Na:zareth (ef.John .1. 1M). I? c
Spirit who pncunmlizcd M(,ry.~ (]('" conlinues, ~be honour. glory and everla.stmg adoration
"OW and fon:vcr!~ (WHl;; :l1O-1:l). _ _ _..
"Ill cOlllr:,distillClion with the "sociocentric organic" model uf SOCiety '~ I~C
"egocentric contractu;"!1 mmlcl.~ This refers 10 the .way of un~er'tanding:nd ~f en g a g ln g ,1I1
society and is used by so,ne cultural mllhropolol,'l'ls to describe. among, othc.r•. the Ang~o
or U.S. culture. In stich .odeties Ih e "i"dividu:l.1 finds l11eall1ng b~ ~efill1ng Ius or her 0"11
strengths and we;,knesscs vis·a·vis olhers in the group, and then JOlilS lh.., group-or forllls
a group-in what amounts hl a contmclllal arrnngell1..,nt on t~e basis of ~hos:e strengths and
weaknesses. ·n,US. while in an egocentric contraclual soc,ety matunty .'s .a I~rocess of
individuation. in sociocenlric orlr-mic oociNies' maturity is a process of soclahzatlon. 'I
"Purbh! meallS more Ihan ~town'- II means a peopl.., draWIl loge~her not only
geographically and ethnically, but ;,150 through a COlllmon {u(Jra and des,re to belong.
While Latinos can, and often do, rerer 10 Ihe Pu.tb~ as jiJmi/ia. th~y may. nol orten rder to
their familia as plleb~. "ueblo has a wider connotation hcyon.d the_ mll~ledl~le and. eXlended
family to the wider familia of Lalinaslos and Ihose thai are til soildanly WIth LaIJllosias.
The Trinity 37
wholeness at all levels of exislence. This, like fA Sanla Trinilffid, is
considered good and holy.
If being is being-infamilia, then it also affirms and sanctifies what has
been deemed unsophisticated, simplistic, and, therefore, devalued: the
daily nitty-gritty of family life-Io (Olidiano, la lueha, e/ mLolJo. An
understanding oflhe Trinily as familia causes sociopolitical and economic
structures that define us by what we do and not by whose we are to sufTer
divine reproof. Such divine affinnation of our understanding of existence
as bring-in-Jamilia is vital to a people whose economic and sociopolitical
survival requires the support and advocacy of a pULhlo; it requires
responsible (as well as critical!) conl.liMloa-living as active engagement
with the other. i,;
But all social constructs, built as they are by fallible humanity, are
flawed. Latino/a sociocentric organic concept as lxing-injamilin also has
its downside. Because we are socialized to understand ourselves as part
of a larger whole to which we owe loyalty, honor, and support.
indil.liduo?' who want to find and claim their own unique voice are often
frowned upon. This is especially true of Latinns who operate outside
cultural nonns regarding the role and place of women. The model of the
Trinity as ftmilia provides an important corrective to what can often
become an extreme in our sociocentric organic communities, that is, an
overemphasis on the needs of the familia to the detriment of the needs
and particularities of the individual. Thus, we are reminded that while
the Trinity is one, it is also thru. Although each participates,
interpenetrates, or indwells the others {perichoresis}, they are still /hru
distinct substances; Parent, Son and Holy Spirit. They are, as stated
earlier, "divided indivisibly'" and "conjoined dividedly"; they are three
yet one. \Ve must ask then, what does this mean for the way we treat
others outside of our denominations, cultural norms, and expectations?
La Sanlo Familia reminds us that we are not our own center. In their
isolation, centers become self-serving and their vision distorted. In La
Santa Familia the Holy Spirit, for instance, is "'neither of the Father alone,
nor of the Son alone but of hoLh.,,17 What does Lhis mean for how we
understand who is included and excluded in our familia? The great
challenge-to Uitinos/as and to all who call themselves Christians-is to
live out the diversity in unity and unity in diversity modeled in La Santa
Familia. Neither is mutually exclusive. To be divine is to be unified in
diversity and diverse in unity.
''To conllillir means more than just "living with" (Ilillir ron) someone or some people
who are sharing Ihe S<'Ole space. (;onvillitndo i, elllf"boing achvely with Ihe olher. As an
exampLe of this emphasis. the lerm is also used to refer It> b'(oltl' activities where the
inlention is 10 get to know the other and "'ngage Ihe other a~ if ~li\lil1g lugelher_~
"The lenn indilliduo tends to have a pejor"live scnsc in Spanish.
"Augustine. On 1M Trinity. book I.i. chap. 17.
38 Hondbook of Latina/o Theologies
Laslly, though so much more can be said, in La Sonia Familia each of
the persons are also eternally equal. The Father is not greater than the
Son, who is not greatcr than the Holy Spirit, who is not greatcr than
either. Thcre is no hierarchy of beings. This is a difficult concept to grasp,
especially for cultures that, admittcdly or not, operate on the basis of
socioeconomic hierarchies. Whether in the family or in the marketplace,
a person's worth becomes intricately tied to production and, especi~lly,
to what is being produced. Focus on the economic and ontologlcal
Trinity-that is, on the functions of each of the Persons in our redemption
or "salvation history"-and on their nature or essence is often used to
reflect or affinn such hierarchies. The statement. for instance, that God is
Cuator, Source of the other two Persons of the Trinity, Fatller (the "'male"
component becomes significant here) and the First Person of ~he Trini~y,
takes on more than conceptual significance; it serves to deify a SOCial
ideology of being tlmt ar~;ues fOI' subordination 011 Ihe basis of
production. If God the Father is the Source, then the Son and the Holy
Spirit call be thought of (and indeed have been thought 00 as
subordinate to the Father.
Because the Latino is often seen as the madw de to COS/1 (the "macho"
of the house), the one who sets and determines the "'law" in the home,
one is justified in asking whether La Sonta Familia is an adequate model.
I would arbrue that it is precisely because it is a familia that it becomes the
perfect model for Latino/a (and non-Latino/a) families. In La Santa
Familia the persons of the Trinity are equal because of what they share
together-their divinity, their essence. Their "function," or "production,"
in the Trinity does not elevate one over the others. They are also equal
because their work is not done apart from each other. Though we tend to
separate the persons by function or production, basic orthodox
understanding says that each Person of the Trinity functions in and
through the others so that no work is said to be better than, or to belong
solely to, either the Parent, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. It is thus why we
can glorify the Son for sanctifying, the Parent for redeeming. and the
Holy Spirit for creating. This emphasis, on the other hand. does not blur
the "distinctiveness" and "btifts" of each. Thus, by the same token, we also
glorify the Parent as Creator, the Son as Redeemer and the Holy Spirit
as Sanctifier.
The Trinity "To Be Continued"
There is much more to be s..'\id that cannot be accomplished in this
brief chapter. In that sense, the Trinity is "to be continued." But, the
Trinity is also "'to be continued" in another very real and concrete form.
The Trinity as family provides us with a rich countercultural model for
being and doing that moves us beyond just otherworldly hopes to the
promise of the fruition of God's familial reign in the here and now: As
such, it becomes not only the "stuff" from which we fommlate doctnnes
The Trinity 39
and . grnn~ ~eological schemas. The dynamism of the Trinity as
relationship IS to be lived out; it is "to be continued" in our very
~xjste~c.e, in our, luch.as, in ~e meollo of life and the joy and pains of luing-
m-fiwlIllO. What s more, thiS model of, or refcrence to, La Santa Familia
~ocs not belong to any denomination. To ovcrlook it because of racial I1r
~Ilterch.urch pl'ejudic~s. that con~in.lIe to hold our minds and hearts captive
IS to miss out 011 a cntJcal heunstlc tool and e,tift that models what we arc
and what we are called to be. That is, a santa ftmilia that honors each
member.~ause.of Christ in us~ working in and through us through the
H~ly SPlTlt to bnng about God s reign. Further. we must not overlook
t~IS m~eJ because of the risk and challenge it poses to church
hierarchies, familial systems, and/or ethnic prejudices that oppress a
grea~ manr of C~'~ familia. To do so is to run the risk of falling short of
God s ~anlllg for Itvmg and ministry that is holy, perfect, faithful.
It IS not enough 10 say that one belicves in the Trinity. II i.~ not just
ahout "orthodoxy." If we are to believe and love God for what God has
done in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. then we are to live
as La Sonia romilia-in complete intimacy with each other. We must
remember that intimacy does not mean that one is free from stnlggle.
!he very nature of living implies struggle. This ought not, however. be
Its foun.d.ation and neither should a member of la ftmilia stnlgglc alone.
As familIa we are responsible and accountable to God and to each other
This too is evident from the action of God the I'arent in raising Christ th~
Son fr~m the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit. This ad-intra
nurt~nng among.tl~e Trinity erupts ad-extra through creation and through
God sown self·glVlng for that creation.
.As childrcn of the one Sonia Familia, we arc called to recognize our
family resemblance, to honor our loyalties to God and thus also to the
pueblo, even as we honor its individual members. If we love, we are also
to honor. \Vhcn we honor we not only accept the "other"-we challenge
and journey with, the other toward wholeness. Thus, God the Paren;
becomes incarnate through the Son who sends his Holy Spirit to
ch.allenge and journey with us in and toward the fulfillment of Cod's
rele,'ll, as none other than familia.