Special Guest of Honor: Dr. Justo L. González
Panelists: Prof. Michelle Navarrete, Dr. Roberto Goizueta, Dr. Jodi Porter, and Prof. Jeffrey Bamaca
This special gathering, hosted by AETH in collaboration with the Candler School of Theology, celebrates the 35th anniversary of Dr. Justo González’s landmark book, Mañana. More than a text, Mañana is recognized as a theological turning point that provided language for marginalized experiences and insisted that Hispanic faith is not secondary, but deeply rooted and historically grounded. The event serves as both a celebration of legacy and an invitation to a "faithful imagination" for the future of the church.
Key Points from the Celebration:
· The Power of Voice and Context: Executive Director Jessica Lugo and Dr. Ondina González emphasized that Mañana gave voice to those long ignored. Written in English, it challenged the dominant theological academy to listen to the "underside of history." It reminded the Hispanic community that they are not victims, but contributors with a specific place at God's table.
· Theology in Solidarity (Teología en Conjunto): Dr. Justo González famously claimed the book is a "fraud" because he did not write it alone; it was authored by the struggles of a community—literate and illiterate women in local churches, seminary students facing exclusion, and those living between worlds. This embodies Fuente Ovejuna theology: a collaborative, non-individualistic effort rooted in shared experience.
· Breaking the Myth of Innocence: Panelist Jeffrey Bamaca highlighted González’s concept of "history beyond innocence." He argued that taking history seriously means acknowledging that the present order is a result of theft and exclusion as much as hard labor. The Hispanic church acts as a "myth-breaker," reminding society of the realities of enslavement and the current parallels found in domestic surveillance and immigration raids.
· Orthodoxy Linked to Orthopraxis: Dr. Jodi Porter discussed how Mañana mandates an "earthy, ecumenical Christianity." Using the concept of Chesed (steadfast love), she proposed that theology must be done with "dirt under the fingernails." Practical frameworks, such as Marshall Ganz’s public narrative and Fernando Cascante’s MARED model, were suggested as tools to translate Mañana’s wisdom into institutional change and decolonial action.
· Borders as a Theological Category: Dr. Roberto Goizueta reflected on how borders define identity. He challenged the "frontier thesis"—the idea of expanding "civilization" against "barbarism"—noting that the Western frontier has become a Southern frontier. In Christian theology, Jesus is the ultimate border-crosser, calling the church to accompany those being "crucified" today in our streets and at our borders.
Final Invitation:
Dr. Justo González closed the evening with a stirring call to "out-love" hatred. He insisted that the victory of the cross is not one of empire or violence, but of faithfulness to a God whose justice is love. The church is invited to pray “Thy Kingdom Come” as a protest against current injustices, trusting that the true Mañana—the final day of God's justice—is coming.
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