Immigrant Communities Meet at the Crossroads of Theology

In this episode of OPTalks, Dr. Ish Ruiz and Dr. Colleen Mary Mallon, a Dominican Sister, discuss her latest book, Inclusivity and Institutional Change in Education: A Theologian's Journey. The book examines the intersection of theology, education, and social justice, with a specific focus on race and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Sister Mallon shares insights from her book which offers a critical examination of how Catholic institutions can better engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion. She discusses her process of unlearning whiteness and the need for greater awareness of positionality. As a Puerto Rican scholar, Dr. Ruiz reflects on the complexities of addressing race and privilege from his perspective as a person of color. The conversation emphasizes the importance of personal transformation, intentional dialogue, and structural accountability in reconciliation and healing within the Catholic tradition. In this regard, Drs. Ruiz and Mallon explore Pope Francis’ model of synodality, where the Church discerns the guidance of the Holy Spirit; Sister Mallon’s adaptation of Ken Wilber’s framework for mapping right relationships; and examples of advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, such as the work of Sister Janine Gramick. Sister Mallon stresses the Church’s need to embrace difficult conversations with love and humility, especially in the face of disagreement. She says, “...we have lost the ability to disagree in love. Even more, we have lost the ability for disagreement itself to be an act of love. Our experience of human nature has taught us that disagreement leads to devaluing, which leads to intolerance, which leads to violence. Therefore, disagreement becomes an act of hate and of war.” This conversation and the book are part of the Theological Education between the Times (TEBT) series, an initiative out of HTI member school Emory University Candler School of Theology that “gathers diverse groups of people for critical, theological conversations about the meanings and purposes of theological education. The project begins with a recognition that theological education is between the times, on the way. And it works in the confidence that we do not walk this road alone.”

In this episode of OPTalks Father Brian Strassburger and Father Flavio Bravo talk with artist and anthropologist Cinthya Santos Briones about the Jesuits’ efforts on behalf of migrants in the Rio Grande Valley, what it means to acompañar migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, and why they see themselves as an itinerant group as they work with migrants on both sides of the frontera. In 2021, a small mobile team of Jesuit priests arrived in Brownsville, Texas, where they started Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries to work with migrants on both sides of the Rio Grande, including migrant shelters in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. In describing their purpose, Fr. Strassburger explains, “We feel this call to go to the margins of society where people are most excluded or ignored or underappreciated or underserved and we certainly see that that is a truth and reality here on the U.S. Mexico border, especially when you see the conditions of migrants camps and shelters on the Mexican side of the border.” This episode is part of the Faith and Flight: Latinx Migration in the Art of Belief project, based at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Educational Center and made possible through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

In this episode of OPTalks, Rev. Dr. Joanne Rodriguez interviews Dr. Xochitl Alviso, an associate professor at California State University, Northridge, who emphasizes the importance of grounding theological reflection in the lived experiences of Christian practice. The conversation delves into the dynamics of faith, community, and belonging, and reimagines how the church can more authentically embody the transformative message of “good news” Christianity in inclusive ways. Dr. Alviso advocates for an active ecclesiology—one that studies the church and practices its mission in ways that reflect the diverse and evolving needs of today’s world. She shares her experience founding a The Pub Church in Boston, an inclusive space designed for individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those with painful histories with traditional church. The Pub Church experience offers a welcoming, less judgmental environment as a place for honest reflection, diverse expressions of identity, and communal support. Dr. Alviso also illustrates the power of communal faith and collective healing through the concept of parenting by committee—a process of trauma recovery. She explains, “Sometimes, that’s how we heal our trauma… we need to be reparented by a committee of people who help us experience a different way of being affirmed.”

In this episode of OPTalks, Isabel Gonzalez and Christian Silva—recent MDiv graduate and current master’s candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary—converse with Dr. Matthew Vega, an HTI Scholar and now assistant professor at the University of San Diego. The discussion centers on Dr. Vega’s dissertation on Blaxican theology, which uncovers intersections of Black and Latinx identities. It highlights the complexities of categorizing identities within American public discourse, particularly the tendency to oversimplify racial identities into binaries like ‘Black’ and ‘Mexican,’ along with their historical contexts. Dr. Vega situates Blaxican theology as a shared struggle for liberation and an internationalist theology, emphasizing that “Black people can't be free unless other people in other parts of the world are free, and Mexican and Mexican American people can't be free unless other people in other parts of the world are free.” His dissertation defense received the highest praise from his committee, and he shares valuable advice for future scholars preparing for their defenses. Drawing from his journey as a first-generation college student, Dr. Vega discusses the systemic challenges he faced and how they have shaped his theological perspective. The conversation also addresses disrespecting borders, liberation theology, and the dynamics of counterpublics in theological discourse.

This OPTalks episode features a conversation between Rev. Dr. Joanne Rodríguez and Dr. Teresa Delgado, who reflects on her experiences as a doctoral student, discussing the unique challenges she faced, particularly as a Latina balancing family responsibilities and academic demands. Dr. Delgado emphasizes the importance of community support, particularly the acompañamiento that HTI offers, which she credits for her perseverance and success. She illustrates the impact of mentorship and the broader implications for women and mothers navigating the academic landscape, and its systemic challenges. Dr. Delgado also describes the dissonance between her embodied understanding of theology and the cerebral expectations of the academy. The conversation highlights the importance of listening to students' experiences and rethinking traditional pedagogical silos within theological institutions. Reflecting on Dr. Daisy Machado’s work, Dr. Delgado heightens the potential of community by stating, “I'm thinking about the ways that…contemporary problems like the environmental crisis is requiring us to delve into church history and ethics and biblical studies and systematic theology across all of those, and social scientists and climate scientists draw from all of that kind of expertise to offer some kind of prophetic word into this moment.”

This OPTalks episode features a conversation between Dr. Yohana Junker and Rev. Dr. Aizaiah Yong exploring the intersections of art, spirituality, and decolonial studies within theological education. Reflecting on their co-teaching experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Drs. Yong and Junker highlight the necessity of cultivating inclusive and compassionate classroom environments. The dialogue highlights how spiritual practices and artistic expression are vital tools for healing and social justice, which enable students to bring their full selves into the learning process while deepening connections. They discuss the transformative power of relationships within the context of higher education while critiquing Eurocentric individualist frameworks from their chapter, "Contemplative Practices and Acts of Resistance in Higher Education: Narratives Towards Wholeness." They also argue for a holistic approach that honors the interconnectedness of students' emotional, psychological, and vocational lives. Their collaboration as co-educators emphasizes how mutual support, compassionate listening, and convivencia foster resilience and hope in academic spaces often marked by structural violence and disconnection. Additionally, the ongoing challenges of navigating personal and collective grief while striving for justice and liberation can be met in these spaces. Dr. Junker says she, "…didn't want to just write out of like, oh, here's a spiritual practice, this is going to…help you in these ways, without sitting with the actual grief of working in institutions of higher education, working within power structures that are very asymmetrical, that have perpetrated, you know, historically so much violence against people like you and me,” to which Rev. Dr. Yong responds, “We're also confronting intergenerational trauma, historical trauma, against people, groups done in the name of religion and white supremacy.”

This podcast episode features a dialogue between Stephen Di Trolio Coakley, a PhD student at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Dr. Edwin Hernández, President of Antillean Adventist University. The conversation chronicles Dr. Hernández' journey from his roots as a preacher’s child in Puerto Rico to his role in sociology, theology, and fundraising, particularly during his tenure at Louisville Institute. Dr. Hernández reflects on his early experiences in ministry, his academic pursuits, and the transformative mentorship of figures like Dr. Caleb Rosado, Dr. Julian Zamora, and Olga Villaparra. Notably, Hernández recounts his involvement in establishing the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) by taking the lead on writing a significant proposal that he co-authored, which addressed funding gaps in Latinx theological education. The discussion underscores Dr. Hernández' commitment to fostering inclusive theological spaces as opportunities for scholars and communities while adapting to the changing educational environment. He asserts, “It’s important for us to reinvent who we are, to connect to, to challenge institutions, to be more faithful and responsive to the needs of our community.”

In this episode of OP Talks, Rev. Dr. Joanne Rodríguez, HTI Executive Director, talks with Boston University doctoral candidate Daniel Montañez about directing the national Mygration Christian Conference that he founded in 2019. Montañez credits his mentorship and relationship with Dr. M. Daniel Carroll Rodas as integral to this work.  Regarding migration, Montañez relates that “...as people who are along the way, and as we find ourselves from the moment that we're born to the moment that we die, we experience this type of temporal movement, movement through time. What does it mean to treat those who we come into contact with who may actually be going through some type of refugee experience or asylum-seeking experience or just in a new country? What does it mean for us to care for them, and to love them as sojourners along the way?” The Mygration Christian Conference is a space where pastors, scholars, practitioners, and community leaders who serve their communities can gather to have conversations about their experiences, their beliefs, and how their faith can serve all immigrant communities better. The conference takes place October 4-5, 2024, at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA. This year’s keynote speakers will be historian and theologian Dr. Justo L. González and Daniel Yang, National Director of Churches of Welcome at World Relief.

Dr. Felipe Hinojosa talks with fellow historian, colleague, and good friend Dr. Johanna Fernández, Associate Professor at Baruch College, about Latino history and the exhibit on youth movements that was put on hold by the Smithsonian National Museum in the fall of 2022. Dr. Fernández teaches 20th-century U.S. history and the history of social movements. Dr. Hinojosa is the John and Nancy Jackson Endowed Chair in Latin America and Professor of History at Baylor University. The scholars’ curated show was widely billed as the “largest federally funded Smithsonian exhibit on Latino Civil Rights History.” “But after pushback from conservative Latinos in the private sector and the halls of Congress,” writes Olivia B. Waxman in TIME, “that exhibit is on hold.” And Dr. Fernández and Dr. Hinojosa found themselves embroiled in the political turmoil.  In this episode of OP Talks, the two scholars take us behind the scenes–from the selection of Latino youth movements as an exhibit theme, to the work entailed in creating the exhibits and what ultimately brought the project to a halt. “This question that we were going to answer through the Smithsonian exhibition on Latino youth movements…‘Who am I?’ That's the quintessential existential question that everyone asks themselves,” says Dr. Fernandez, author of The Young Lords: A Radical History (UNC Press, 2020), a history of the Puerto Rican counterpart to the Black Panther Party. ”Who am I, and what's my relationship to the nation? And what's my relationship to my community?” she continues. “That was one of the key questions we were going to ask and answer through that exhibition.”