Journal Of Latin American Theology Volume 15 Number 2

This issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology addresses several themes: we continue our up-to-date analysis of Christianity in each country in Latin America; we examine how a Christian community in Central America is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; and we celebrate the life and ministry of Juan Stam, a giant of a man and in uential member of the FTL who passed into the presence of the Lord on October 16, 2020. Leopoldo Cervantes-Ortiz reviews Juan Stam’s more than seven decades of teaching, writing, and mentorship while Stam’s daughter and editor Rebeca Stam offers a more intimate look at his later life. Luis Carlos Marrero Chasbar helps us understand the complex interplay of the varieties of Christianity in Cuba, then David López discusses how religious persecution has shaped Protestant involvement in the current political arena in Colombia. Tomás Gutiérrez describes the evangelical church in Peru with an eye toward the impact of the coronavirus in the country, and Heidi Michelson and the sisters and brothers of Casa Adobe in Costa Rica share how they walk with God and serve their neighbors in the midst of the pandemic. This volume closes with two samples of theopoetry that re ect on different aspects of the Christian faith in quarantine and a book review of David Kirkpatrick’s A Gospel for the Poor.

This volume of the Journal of Latin American Theology and the fall 2019 volume are dedicated to providing an up-to-date analysis of Christianity in current Latin American societies. This issue focuses on selections from the Caribbean and South America. An excellent array of Christian leaders representing these regions have risen to the task. First, they situate readers in the contemporary political and social context of their country. Next, they describe contemporary Christianity in their nation, both Protestant and Catholic, as the respective churches respond to their national challenges. Then they explore what followers of Jesus in their countries would want to share with the larger worldwide church and what Christians in their nations need to learn from Christian sisters and brothers from around the globe. An introductory overview of recent religious changes throughout Latin America, written by Fernando Bullón, sets the stage to help us understand the context of Protestantism in the region. The Dominican Republic is covered by Perfecto Jacinto Sánchez; Panama by Marina Medina Moreno and Jocabed Solano; Ecuador by Rodrigo Riffo; Bolivia by Eva Morales and Drew Jennings-Grisham; Brazil by Marcus de Matos; Paraguay by Flavio Florentín; Argentina by Juan José Barreda and Diana Medina González; and Chile by Luis Cruz-Villalobos. This volume, together with the second issue of 2019, will make an excellent textbook in universities and seminaries for all who want to understand Latin American Christianity today. We pray that these country studies lead readers to prayers of solidarity and reflection upon how God is walking among us in our various contexts.

This volume of the Journal of Latin American Theology and the fall 2019 volume are dedicated to providing an up-to-date analysis of Christianity in current Latin American societies. This issue focuses on selections from the Caribbean and South America. An excellent array of Christian leaders representing these regions have risen to the task. First, they situate readers in the contemporary political and social context of their country. Next, they describe contemporary Christianity in their nation, both Protestant and Catholic, as the respective churches respond to their national challenges. Then they explore what followers of Jesus in their countries would want to share with the larger worldwide church and what Christians in their nations need to learn from Christian sisters and brothers from around the globe. An introductory overview of recent religious changes throughout Latin America, written by Fernando Bullon, sets the stage to help us understand the context of Protestantism in the region. The Dominican Republic is covered by Perfecto Jacinto Sanchez; Panama by Marina Medina Moreno and Jocabed Solano; Ecuador by Rodrigo Riffo; Bolivia by Eva Morales and Drew Jennings-Grisham; Brazil by Marcus de Matos; Paraguay by Flavio Florentin; Argentina by Juan Jose Barreda and Diana Medina Gonzalez; and Chile by Luis Cruz-Villalobos. This volume, together with the second issue of 2019, will make an excellent textbook in universities and seminaries for all who want to understand Latin American Christianity today. We pray that these country studies lead readers to prayers of solidarity and reflection upon how God is walking among us in our various contexts.

This issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology features articles with pastoral perspectives for postpandemic times as well as reflection on justice and theological education. Edesio Sánchez Cetina addresses the difference between how disease is dealt with in the Bible and modern understandings of illness and healing. Fabio Salguero Fagoaga wrestles with COVID-related suffering in light of Christian hope in the resurrection. Mary Luz Reyes Bejarano proposes an interdisciplinary model of pastoral care that puts victimology in dialogue with psychology and theology. She does this within the framework of a regional program in Colombia for women dealing with the aftermath of violence. Daniel S. Schipani develops a psycho-theology of lament and offers keys for walking alongside and supporting—“companioning”—people facing crisis situations. Luis Cruz-Villalobos identifies eleven positive keys to coping evidenced by Paul in 2 Corinthians, and these become the basis of a proposed hermeneutic of post-traumatic Christian praxis. Esteban M. Voth discusses how the Hebrew term tsedeq is rendered in Bible translations in English (“righteousness”) and Spanish (“justicia/justice”). He then connects the impact of the translation to how followers of Jesus live out their theology. Dieumeme Noëlliste celebrates the collaborative nature of advanced-degree programs and the prophetic, missional approach taken by many institutions of theological education in the global South. Four book reviews, a film review, and one poem close out this volume.

This issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology contains articles from some of the newest members of the FTL who presented papers in local chapters in fulfillment of an essential requirement for active membership in the FTL: the presentation of a written work reflecting original theological thought, rigorous dialogue with other pertinent sources and research instruments, and relevance to Latin American situations. Through this requirement, the FTL provides a strong impetus to practical scholarship and fosters relevant, robust contextual theological reflection. This issue showcases men and women from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Argentina who explore many aspects of church, generosity, identity, art, the prophetic imagination, and liberation.

This issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology is dedicated to the memory of C. René Padilla (1932–2021). In “The Life and Legacy of C. René Padilla,” historian Daniel Salinas presents the essential events of René’s life and ministry. In 2008, Darren C. Marks published René’s own account of his theological journey in Shaping a Global Theological Mind. We are grateful to reprint “My Theological Pilgrimage,” in which René described the factors that contributed to his development as a theologian and practitioner. Next, the five children René had with his late wife Catharine Feser Padilla offer a heartfelt overview of their father’s life. A sample of tributes from friends and family members then describes not only René’s writings and mental brilliance but also his humility, hospitality, courage, and gentleness as a mentor. And the three poets included herein give testimony to René’s unflagging dedication to encouraging and publishing other writers across the genres. Next, historian Dinorah Méndez reviews René’s last literary venture, Raíces de un evangelio integral: misión en perspectiva histórica and demonstrates that the primary theological emphasis of René’s life—misión integral—has been practiced by the people of God in their various contexts throughout history. Finally, with the combined efforts of several scholars, we have compiled as complete a bibliography of René’s published works as possible.

Journal of Latin American Theology: Christian Reflections from the Latino South Special Issue on the 2015 Sao Paulo Conference on the Occasion of the FTL's 45th Anniversary Vol. 11, No. 2, Fall 2016 This issue of our Journal of Latin American Theology: Christian Reflections from the Latino South brings together some of the most representative papers from the FTL's 2015 continental conference, "45 Years of the FTL and Contemporary Theological Borders," held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Building on the milestones of that past, participants faced the challenges of the present and future. Herein, Brazilian theologians and practitioners offer reflections on the FTL's early days, Pentecostal theology, the intended "irrelevance" of the church, the oral nature of the Gospels, and race relations within church and society. Spanish-speaking theologians and practitioners discuss public theology and the joyful dreams of God the Creator. A presentation of theological poetry rounds out this issue.

The articles in this issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology focus on history, mission, politics, migration, and worship. Luis Tapia Rubio discusses the colonial nature of Bartolomé de Las Casas’s sixteenth-century mission in Latin America and sits with the disturbing question of whether or not it is possible for Christian mission to be anything but colonial. Valdir Steuernagel summarizes key points from the Lausanne Congresses on World Evangelization and diagnoses current challenges leading up to Lausanne IV in September 2024. Darío López R. illustrates the antidemocratic nature of fundamentalist evangelicals active in Latin American politics through the case study of the 2021 presidential elections in Peru. Milton Mejía discusses the same political phenomenon but in the context of Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict. His case study is the 2016 referendum on the peace agreement, which evangelical opposition helped tip the balance to reject. Mariani Xavier seeks to “humanize” immigrants by highlighting five biblical insights on immigration and then outlining action steps for Christians to put these biblical insights into practice. Fabio Salguero Fagoaga diagnoses one reason that Christians fail to offer robust hospitality to immigrants and refugees: aporophobia, or discrimination against the poor. The book reviews in this volume approach these same themes from different perspectives, as the film review and theopoetry do from the posture of worship.