We might begin this essay by asking "How can theology (God-talk) take place in the context of an exiled community living in a different country and under difficult conditions?" The answers to that are quite complex and difficult. Our history is a complex one. The factors leading to our presence here are numerous. The Hispanic community in the U.S.A. is not monolithic by any stretch of the imagination. There is diversity among our Hispanic people, i.e. different customs and traditions, as well as different mindsets. We are one, yet many.
I make an analogy between the historical situation of the Hebrew/Jewish people in both Egypt and Babylon, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra on the one hand, and on the other, the historical situation of Hispanics in the U.S.A. The Hebrews had left Canaan for Egypt be cause of a famine in the land. Jacob's descendants settled in Egypt after migrating from Canaan. Initially for them, Egypt was the "house of abundance" because of the resources and the amounts of food available there. Eventually, because of the xenophobic mindset of the Egyptian king, the "house of abundance" became the "house of bondage." Because of this xenophobic hysteria, the Hebrews were enslaved and subjected to agony, cruelty, and misery. They were eventually, through the liberating and salvific acts of Yahweh God, mediated through the leadership of Moses, liberated from that bondage and returned to their land.
The Hebrews/Jews were exiled to Babylon. They spent 70 years in that new country. There they were exposed to a new language (Aramaic, a cognate language of their own Hebrew). There is no doubt that the religious mindset of the Babylonians had an impact on Jewish theology, even extending to the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. Issues such as angeology and demonology crept into their sacred texts.
During their time in Babylon, the Jews also came under the rule of the Persian and Greek Empires. Under the Greeks, they were exposed to philosophy, especially to the philosophy of Plato, which undoubtedly had the result of their engaging with the mindset of the "immortality of the soul."
The Hispanic colonial and diasporic experiences carry certain similarities with the diasporic experiences of the Jews. For one, Hispanics, among all things, have come here as a result of U.S.A. imperialistic activities in their countries of origin. This imperialistic activity has in turn, generated economic, political, and social conditions that have made it necessary for Hispanics to migrate to the "house of abundance (the U.S.A.). Eventually, as we shall see later, the "house of abundance" becomes the "house of bondage" for Hispanics in the U.S.A.
Now, there is a caveat in understanding Hispanic migration history. Hispanic roots in what is now the U.S.A. are more ancient than the Anglo-American ones. To the extent that the immigrant analogy is appropriate, it must be nuanced by such significant facts as the symbiotic relationship of Hispanic immigrants, at least the largest groups of them-the Mexicans and the Puerto Ricans-with their homeland (Allan Figueroa-Deck, S. J. "At the Crossroads: North American and Hispanic," in We Are A People, Roberto Goizueta, ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992, p. 3).
It is also relevant to note that the Spanish language, unlike the language of other immigrant or migrant groups is not "foreign." Spanish is the second language of the U.S.A. and has been continuously spoken in the American Southwest from the sixteenth century onwards (Alfredo Mirande, The Chicano Experience: An Alternative Perspective. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 1985, pp. 185-200).
The marginality of Hispanics within North American society is a complex matter that needs to be understood at the outset. Certainly, one of the factors is the strong anti-Hispanic bias of Anglo-American culture. Linked to this, of course, were the bitter polemics of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation of the sixteenth century. Spain herself had become marginalized from the modern world through the strident identification with Catholicism, especially the distinctive Spanish brand from the Reconquest. Hispanic Catholicism, moreover, rooted itself to the indigenous cultures of the Americas in the sixteenth century before Anglo-American Protestants or Catholics set foot on North American soil. Already, in the sixteenth century, Spain and Portugal were importing slaves from Africa. Another important branch of Hispanic-American culture was born in the Antilles and the Coast of Central and South America as the Spaniards and the Africans forged a new mulatto race. Such an intense miscegenation never occurred in the Anglo-American colonies, where colonization involved the transfer preexisting European patterns upon a wilderness. In Hispanic America, by contrast, a complex hybrid was being forged. Hence, the starting points for these two cultures-the Hispanic-American, and the Anglo-American are drastically different (Deck, in Goizueta, p. 4).
A key issue in doing theology from the Hispanic-American standpoint is to know and understand that theology has to take into account the history of land-grabbing colonization and exile. This theology or discourse about God has to emerge from and be constructed by those who have been victims of colonization and forced exile. It cannot be a theology which is imposed by the conquering colonizer.
Liberation Theology, both Latin-American and Hispanic-American begins with the assumption that oppression and suffering (in this case, colonization and exile) are the starting points for biblical interpretation and theological reflection. In subsequent essays, we will discover how this theology is done and carried out in the Hispanic-American community.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Friday, October 20, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Hispanics in the U.S.A.
This is the first of a series of essays designed to help us explore what it means to do theology from the standpoint of Hispanics (or Latinos/as) living in the Diaspora of the U.S.A. There are certain issues that come along with dealing with Hispanic-Americans. We will explore some of these issues. A discussion of these issues entails the following:
1. Who are Hispanic-Americans? Himilce Novas says "Over the centuries many people from Spanish-speaking Latin America have either made their way to the United States to forge a brand-new life or found themselves citizens due to shifting U.S. borders and imperialistic pursuits. For the sake of clarity, Spanish-speaking Latin America is comprised of Cuba, Puerto Rico (which is a U.S. commonwealth, not a sovereign nation), the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. All U.S. citizens and residents of the United States who originated from these nations, or from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or whose ancestors did, are known as Hispanics. The U.S. Census Bureau also includes Spanish-speaking Americans, i.e Americans whose forebears came directly from Spain among Hispanics, but many scholars limit the definition only to include those of Spanish-speaking Latin American origin (Himilce Novas, Everything You Need to Know About Latinos. New York: Penguin Group, 2008, p. 3).
2. Why are people of Latin American origin present in the U.S.A.? There are no easy answers to that question as there are a variety of factors that contribute to that reality. Among the factors are the following:
a. Land-grabbing. There was land-grabbing by the Spaniards in the 15th century, and then by the U.S.A. in the nineteenth century. Much of what now constitutes the southwestern part of the U.S.A. at one time belonged to Mexico. As Novas informs us, "The history of Mexico and that of the United States are so inextricably linked that these nations have been compared to Siamese twins who, before enduring a radical and painful separation, shared the same heart. Mexican-Americans are not an ethnic minority who merely crossed the U.S.-Mexico borders and then by slow assimilation, become incorporated into the great American mosaic. They have ancestral roots in part of the territory within the boundaries of what now constitutes the United States, that is, the areas that formerly belonged to Mexico. As the saying goes among Tejanos, i.e. Texans of Mexican origin, 'we never crossed a border: the border crossed us." (Novas, p. 49). We can also add to this history, the neo-colonization of the three nations of the Caribbean, i.e. Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, two of which were taken over by the U.S.A. in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War of 1898.
b. U.S.A. imperialism-When James Monroe was elected President of the U.S.A. in 1817, U.S. industry prospered, and the concept of Manifest Destiny reared its head beyond the nation's borders. On December 2, 1823, he delivered a message to Congress, in which he declared that the United States would not tolerate European intervention and expansion in the Americas. The issuance of this declaration, which became known as the Monroe Doctrine, was motivated by the concern that certain European nations wee planning to use military force to restore to Spain the colonies that recently gained their independence. There was also concern that England was flexing too much muscle in the hemisphere, having seized territory by nibbling off Belize and the Mesquito Coast of Nicaragua, and that France, under Napoleon the III, had designs on Mexico and intended to turn it into a client state. The Monroe Doctrine sent a clear message to the empires of Europe to cease and desist (Novas, p. 138).
However, the Monroe Doctrine did not contain any language about the United States doing the same thing, i.e. refraining from interfering in colonies and nations in the Americas that were not its own. In fact, the Monroe Doctrine clearly implied that the United States had designated itself "protector" of the Americas. Thus, while it appeared, at first glance, to be a straightforward exercise in isolationism and good-neighbor policy toward the fledgling new republics to the south, such as Mexico, the Monroe Doctrine actually paved the way for the free ride U.S. imperialism was to take throughout the Western Hemisphere for many decades to come. Puerto Rico was one of those stops along the way (Novas, pp. 138-139).
c. Economics- U.S.A. imperialism, together with land-grabbing, contributed to the present day economic problems of Latin America. Many, if not most of those problems were generated by the foreign economic policies of the U.S.A. Those policies wreaked havoc in the Latin American countries, widening the chasm between rich and poor, creating dire misery and poverty for the masses of these countries. These conditions, in turn, generated massive immigration to the north (U.S.A.). I refer the reader to the book "Open Veins in Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of the Continent," by Eduardo Galeano, for further and more extensive research on these matters.
How then, is theology in the Diaspora supposed to be done and carried out? The three above-mentioned factors, in turn, generated certain living conditions for those Hispanics who migrated to the U.S.A. The socio-economic and political conditions of Hispanics in the U.S.A., and the theology emerging from those conditions will be addressed in the subsequent essays.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
1. Who are Hispanic-Americans? Himilce Novas says "Over the centuries many people from Spanish-speaking Latin America have either made their way to the United States to forge a brand-new life or found themselves citizens due to shifting U.S. borders and imperialistic pursuits. For the sake of clarity, Spanish-speaking Latin America is comprised of Cuba, Puerto Rico (which is a U.S. commonwealth, not a sovereign nation), the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. All U.S. citizens and residents of the United States who originated from these nations, or from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or whose ancestors did, are known as Hispanics. The U.S. Census Bureau also includes Spanish-speaking Americans, i.e Americans whose forebears came directly from Spain among Hispanics, but many scholars limit the definition only to include those of Spanish-speaking Latin American origin (Himilce Novas, Everything You Need to Know About Latinos. New York: Penguin Group, 2008, p. 3).
2. Why are people of Latin American origin present in the U.S.A.? There are no easy answers to that question as there are a variety of factors that contribute to that reality. Among the factors are the following:
a. Land-grabbing. There was land-grabbing by the Spaniards in the 15th century, and then by the U.S.A. in the nineteenth century. Much of what now constitutes the southwestern part of the U.S.A. at one time belonged to Mexico. As Novas informs us, "The history of Mexico and that of the United States are so inextricably linked that these nations have been compared to Siamese twins who, before enduring a radical and painful separation, shared the same heart. Mexican-Americans are not an ethnic minority who merely crossed the U.S.-Mexico borders and then by slow assimilation, become incorporated into the great American mosaic. They have ancestral roots in part of the territory within the boundaries of what now constitutes the United States, that is, the areas that formerly belonged to Mexico. As the saying goes among Tejanos, i.e. Texans of Mexican origin, 'we never crossed a border: the border crossed us." (Novas, p. 49). We can also add to this history, the neo-colonization of the three nations of the Caribbean, i.e. Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, two of which were taken over by the U.S.A. in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War of 1898.
b. U.S.A. imperialism-When James Monroe was elected President of the U.S.A. in 1817, U.S. industry prospered, and the concept of Manifest Destiny reared its head beyond the nation's borders. On December 2, 1823, he delivered a message to Congress, in which he declared that the United States would not tolerate European intervention and expansion in the Americas. The issuance of this declaration, which became known as the Monroe Doctrine, was motivated by the concern that certain European nations wee planning to use military force to restore to Spain the colonies that recently gained their independence. There was also concern that England was flexing too much muscle in the hemisphere, having seized territory by nibbling off Belize and the Mesquito Coast of Nicaragua, and that France, under Napoleon the III, had designs on Mexico and intended to turn it into a client state. The Monroe Doctrine sent a clear message to the empires of Europe to cease and desist (Novas, p. 138).
However, the Monroe Doctrine did not contain any language about the United States doing the same thing, i.e. refraining from interfering in colonies and nations in the Americas that were not its own. In fact, the Monroe Doctrine clearly implied that the United States had designated itself "protector" of the Americas. Thus, while it appeared, at first glance, to be a straightforward exercise in isolationism and good-neighbor policy toward the fledgling new republics to the south, such as Mexico, the Monroe Doctrine actually paved the way for the free ride U.S. imperialism was to take throughout the Western Hemisphere for many decades to come. Puerto Rico was one of those stops along the way (Novas, pp. 138-139).
c. Economics- U.S.A. imperialism, together with land-grabbing, contributed to the present day economic problems of Latin America. Many, if not most of those problems were generated by the foreign economic policies of the U.S.A. Those policies wreaked havoc in the Latin American countries, widening the chasm between rich and poor, creating dire misery and poverty for the masses of these countries. These conditions, in turn, generated massive immigration to the north (U.S.A.). I refer the reader to the book "Open Veins in Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of the Continent," by Eduardo Galeano, for further and more extensive research on these matters.
How then, is theology in the Diaspora supposed to be done and carried out? The three above-mentioned factors, in turn, generated certain living conditions for those Hispanics who migrated to the U.S.A. The socio-economic and political conditions of Hispanics in the U.S.A., and the theology emerging from those conditions will be addressed in the subsequent essays.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
A False Spirituality
One of the many errors that are committed in the community of faith is to define ¨spirituality¨ almost exclusively in terms of Bible reading, church attendance, fasting, meditation, and praying. Spirituality, in this case, is seen as an ¨upward focus¨ which has absolutely nothing to do with our immediate surroundings. Spirituality is conceived to be devoid of anything ¨material¨ or ¨physical.¨ It is believed an exercise in ¨spirituality¨ should be an attempt to exonerate or exclude ourselves from activities in those other areas. How people conclude the idea that this is what spirituality consists of is beyond me. As I read the Scriptures, what I encounter and see is that spirituality entails but is not limited to anything of a physical nature. Many believers would be aghast at the notion that eating a slice of pizza, playing baseball, and making love to one´s significant other are not only ¨anti-Scriptural,¨ but are, in fact, included in spirituality. Nowhere in the Scriptures or in the Christian tradition do we find Jesus defining spirituality in terms of non-physical activity. Neither do we find anything in the Scriptures that suggests that spirituality consists of ¨contemplating the moon¨ or becoming oblivious to our immediate environment and everything that happens in it.
Spirituality, in the true sense of the word, both includes and transcends physicality. Physicality is part and parcel of God´s creation. Let us enjoy eating, playing, and love-making to the max.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Visiting Professor of Theology
Tainan Theological College/Seminary
Spirituality, in the true sense of the word, both includes and transcends physicality. Physicality is part and parcel of God´s creation. Let us enjoy eating, playing, and love-making to the max.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Visiting Professor of Theology
Tainan Theological College/Seminary
Monday, June 19, 2017
Who is the True Theologian?
In the field of religion, as in every other branch of human knowledge, there are those who devote themselves to its study and practice. Some take faith and religion so seriously, that they choose to, based on their sense of calling or passion, to become leaders of the faith community such as pastors, priests, imams, rabbis, senseis, etc. Others who are more oriented towards the intellectual side of religion, choose to become scholars in the field in order to teach at institutions of higher education. And then there are those who seek to integrate the two in both their practice and research. One may find, for example, that an individual engages in research and teaching in a school, while at the same presiding over a local congregation such as a church, a synagogue, a mosque, a shrine, etc.
Within the context of the faith community, we find that people are divided between the categories of ¨lay¨ and ¨ordained.¨ The so-called ¨lay folk¨ are usually the adherents or followers of those who are considered ¨experts." The ¨experts¨ are the teachers and the ¨lay people¨ are considered the ¨disciples,"i.e. those who are learning.
For the purposes of this essay, I would like to propose that we abolish the distinction between lay and ordained. When we insist on maintaining that distinction, we perpetuate a structure of hierarchy that was never intended by the founder, and in the case of the Christian faith, Jesus Himself.
Once we abolish that dichotomy, we are then free to discover that so-called ¨lay folks¨ are theologians and scholars in their own right. They may not have formal training in the fields of religion and theology, they may not possess degrees or certificates that set them apart from every one else, but they do bring their reflections of God based on their life experience. They may not have titles such as ¨Dr., Rev, Rabbi, Imam, Abuna, Sensei,¨ etc., but they bring to the faith community a faith which has been formed and shaped by ¨the school of ¨Hardknox,¨ the reality of life and its struggles. They may not be acquainted or familiar with the jargon of academia, or ivory tower speculation, but they have a basic faith that has ¨brought them safe thus far.¨ In essence, they can teach ¨a thing or two¨ to those of us who believe ourselves to be the ¨authority¨ on matters of faith and life.
I haves sustained in classes that I have taught in both churches and schools, that everyone is a scholar and/or a theologian. We each bring our wealth of experiences, as well as our strengths and weaknesses to the table of God-talk. No one´s notion of God is better or worse than others, or inferior or superior to other notions. When it comes to notions about God, ¨it is what it is.¨ God is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the exclusive domain of credentialed people. Nor can credentialed people claim or pretend to be infallible and inerrant on God-talk. To the chagrin of many people, I have often had to say to them that theology is not the task of ¨explaining¨ God, but rather ¨seeking¨ God in order to arrive at an ¨informed¨ faith. Theology is ¨faith seeking understanding.¨ We are all on that journey. Welcome aboard with us.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen!
Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Visiting Professor of Theology, Tainan Theological College/Seminary.
Within the context of the faith community, we find that people are divided between the categories of ¨lay¨ and ¨ordained.¨ The so-called ¨lay folk¨ are usually the adherents or followers of those who are considered ¨experts." The ¨experts¨ are the teachers and the ¨lay people¨ are considered the ¨disciples,"i.e. those who are learning.
For the purposes of this essay, I would like to propose that we abolish the distinction between lay and ordained. When we insist on maintaining that distinction, we perpetuate a structure of hierarchy that was never intended by the founder, and in the case of the Christian faith, Jesus Himself.
Once we abolish that dichotomy, we are then free to discover that so-called ¨lay folks¨ are theologians and scholars in their own right. They may not have formal training in the fields of religion and theology, they may not possess degrees or certificates that set them apart from every one else, but they do bring their reflections of God based on their life experience. They may not have titles such as ¨Dr., Rev, Rabbi, Imam, Abuna, Sensei,¨ etc., but they bring to the faith community a faith which has been formed and shaped by ¨the school of ¨Hardknox,¨ the reality of life and its struggles. They may not be acquainted or familiar with the jargon of academia, or ivory tower speculation, but they have a basic faith that has ¨brought them safe thus far.¨ In essence, they can teach ¨a thing or two¨ to those of us who believe ourselves to be the ¨authority¨ on matters of faith and life.
I haves sustained in classes that I have taught in both churches and schools, that everyone is a scholar and/or a theologian. We each bring our wealth of experiences, as well as our strengths and weaknesses to the table of God-talk. No one´s notion of God is better or worse than others, or inferior or superior to other notions. When it comes to notions about God, ¨it is what it is.¨ God is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the exclusive domain of credentialed people. Nor can credentialed people claim or pretend to be infallible and inerrant on God-talk. To the chagrin of many people, I have often had to say to them that theology is not the task of ¨explaining¨ God, but rather ¨seeking¨ God in order to arrive at an ¨informed¨ faith. Theology is ¨faith seeking understanding.¨ We are all on that journey. Welcome aboard with us.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen!
Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Visiting Professor of Theology, Tainan Theological College/Seminary.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Theology in a Latin Rhytm
When one attends worship in a church or other type of faith community, one of the the things that he/she may experience is that the worship service is accompanied by music, including singing and the playing of various musical instruments. In one church, you will hear the hymns accompanied by a piano or pipe organ. In other churches, the songs will be accompanied by instruments such as guitar, tambourines, and wind instruments such as saxophones and trumpets. In some worship services that I have attended in Taiwan, the prelude is usually the sound of the gong. I have even witnessed one service where the ram´s horn was used.
In the culture, one will also find a variety of musical expressions. There is slow romantic music, sleepy elevator music, fast and upbeat music, etc. It is said that ¨everyone marches to the beat of a different drummer.¨ The music that people enjoy, dance, or play to varies from person to person and from culture to culture.
Today I would like to talk about how the theological task is carried out with different intonations. I speak about doing theology in a Latin rhythm We have slow music such as the bolero and the valz (Waltz). And then there is faster music such as cumbia, merengue, and salsa. The music is reflective of the three different components of Latin American culture, i.e. indigenous, African, and Euro-American.
Theology in the Hispanic and Latin American culture reflects the aspirations, the cultural perspectives, and the values of Hispanic people. Theology in the Hispanic community, both in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the Hispanic Diaspora in the U.S.A. is a theology which is much different from ¨classical¨ and traditional theology.
The theological outlook is generated, in part, by the colonial cultural imposition of Euro-America, especially through both the Catholic and Protestant missionary enterprises. This theological imposition included the liturgy and the moral standards of Euro-America under the mantra of ¨biblical theology.¨ Hispanic and Latin American theology is also generated by those sectors in the Hispanic and Latin American community that experience suffering as a daily routine and normal part of life. The suffering in turn generates the hope, quest, and struggle for a better existence.
Hispanic and Latin American theology may be viewed as either ¨inferior to,¨ or ¨an appendix¨ to the theology of the dominant culture. The reason why it is viewed as such is because it is the theology generated by those who live ¨on the margins¨ of national and international economic development. Those in power will view the perspectives of those on the margins as of lesser importance and quality.
The theology that emerges from our Hispanic and Latin American communities is the driving force that motivates them to continue the struggle against injustice of all kinds. Hispanic and Latin American theology will continue to provide the rhythm that we dance to as we seek to construct God´s Beloved Community. Let´s keep the music going.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Visiting Professor of Theology, Tainan Theological College/Seminary
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