Contextual Theology: U.S. HIspanic Discourse-An Overview

After having written several essays on Liberation Theology from a Latin American/ and Caribbean standpoint, I now invite you to consider entering a dialogue with us on doing theology from the context of U.S. Hispanics. Like any other cultural, ethnic, and racial group in the U.S.A, the Hispanic community in this country has its own theology.  Like Liberation Theology and all other theologies, it is not monolithic.  Hispanic-American theology has as much variation as any other theology.
Unlike Euro-American theology, which has a "top-down" approach, Hispanic-American theology is more of a "bottom-up" model.  Like Latin American Liberation Theology, Hispanic-American theology emerges from the socio-economic, and political conditions of alienation, marginalization, oppression, and suffering.

Latin American Liberation Theology focuses on issues of social class in Latin America.  It deals with how a small group of people, in some cases receiving economic and military support from the U.S.A, have relegated the vast majority of the populace in Latin America (especially in places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico) to abysmal and abject poverty.  Hispanic-American theology, on the other hand, focuses on how Hispanics (or as some would prefer to call them "Latinos") in the U.S.A are treated in the same manner that the African-American community is treated, i.e. as inferior and second-class citizens.  In Latin America, it is an issue of social class. In the U.S.A, it is an ethnic/racial issue.

In order for anyone to even begin to critique Hispanic-American theology, one first has to be acquainted with the history of Hispanics in this country.  One would have to research the origins of the Hispanic-American community, and also become familiar with the challenges that this community has faced.

One thing that merits attention in this discourse and cannot be overlooked is the fact that for many centuries, our ancestors from Latin America called these lands "home" long before the European colonization of the Americas was carried out beginning at the end of the fifteenth century.  What is today called Central and South America was inhabited by the indigenous people who were wiped out by the diseases contrived through their hard labor for the Spaniards and other Europeans.  Hispanic-Americans are the descendants of the original inhabitants of the land, especially through the lineage of the indigenous inhabitants, and also through the lineage of the people of African descent who labored and toiled, building this land (including what today is called the U.S.A.) for the benefit of Euro-America.  Therefore, when some say to us "If you don't like it here, why don't you go back to where you came from?", the answer is "Oh, but we came from here, this is our land, and you are the ones who have to get the hell out of here and go back to where you came from."  As someone said, "we didn't cross the border.  The border crossed us."  I would add to those who hold us in contempt, "This is our land, and we are here to stay." 

These essays are designed to provide the information that is necessary for those who wish to critique and evaluate the way we do theology in the Hispanic-American community. They will also contain a prophetic element of denunciation by challenging the elite of the ruling class in Slavetown, U.S.A. These essays will take many readers out of their comfort zones because in them, they will find a process of deconstructing long-held myths about Euro-American cultural and national superiority.

As a pastor/theologian, I make no apologies whatsoever for the remarks above.  It is said that the job of a true preacher is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.  If these essays result in bringing comfort and respite to your soul, then all praise and thanks be to God who in Christ has promised us liberation from the bondage which prevents us from moving forward as a community which is part of the global community of humankind.  If, on the other hand, your reading of the forthcoming essays result in your being afflicted because of their deconstructing role, then the only thing that I can say is "too damned bad."  The truth has to be proclaimed regardless of the consequences.  As a result of reading the comments from the essays, some may experience having a coronary, others will fall out of their chairs, and others, yet, will just be stymied and say, "and then, and then, and then, um, huma, huma, huma." 

The bulk of these essays will be based on articles that are written by different Hispanic-American theologians or Latin American theologians working in a U.S. context. These articles can be found in the book,  "We Are A People!: Initiatives in Hispanic American Theology. Robert Goizueta, ed. Minneapolis:Augsburg Fortress. 1992."

In anticipation of the forthcoming essays, I invite you to raise any questions or make any comments that you believe to be appropriate to this discourse.  You may want to make comments or ask questions regarding this general overview.  I look forward to your input.

Grace and peace,

Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona





In his book (Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in the Americas, New York: Penguin Groups,  2000, and 2011) Juan Gonzales