Prayers for the New Year

In this episode of OP Talks, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, historian, professor, and endowed chair for Baylor in Latin America, talks with Dr. Gina M. Pérez, cultural anthropologist, professor and chair of Comparative American Studies at Oberlin, about her recent book Sanctuary People: Faith-based Organizing in Latina/o Communities (NYU Press, 2024).Drawing from historical activist communities in Northeast Ohio, particularly Lorain, and their mobilization efforts following the impact of Hurricane Maria on the Puerto Rican diaspora, to broader national responses, Dr. Pérez argues that sanctuary practices as expressions of care communities reveal that sanctuary people are  “not born…but continually made through decisions, big and small…How do you live with your faith? How do you respond to injustice?” This discussion highlights the ongoing effort and commitment required to become a sanctuary person.

In this episode of OPTalks, the HTI community and friends offer prayer and song as expressions of gratitude and strength, to offer company, in praise of peace and love.

In this episode of OPTalks, spiritual care counselor Rev. David Ramos shares his experiences providing pastoral and chaplaincy support at VNS Health (formerly Visiting Nurse Services) during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.Hosted by Marta Lucía Vargas, managing editor of HTI Open Plaza, this conversation explores the challenges pastors and chaplains faced as they navigated trauma, fear, and grief in a time of widespread illness, political unrest, and social upheaval. Rev. Ramos discusses the emotional and theological dilemmas that emerged as communities grappled with mortality and the role of spiritual care counselors in offering holistic support, particularly in end-of-life settings.The episode also examines the impact of triumphalist theology on pastoral work and how faith leaders were forced to reconcile their beliefs with the realities of suffering and death.“The pandemic’s a host of a lot of different things. You know, we’re talking about the heels of the George Floyd protests, there’s a lot of political chaos that is happening during that season of people who have been traumatized by social upheaval as well as death. Interestingly enough, what happens to many pastors—some of the pastors were bred within a triumphalist theology… and now they’re dealing with death, death and dying, at untold levels that we are still trying to wrap ourselves around.” – Rev. David RamosListen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of OPTalks, HTI community members offer prayers to bring us closer to the divine, the holy, toward hope, communal inspiration, and love.

In this episode of OPTalks, Rev. Dr. Joanne Rodríguez interviews Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. on Spirit Christology, which integrates the study of the Holy Spirit and the life and mission of Jesus Christ, bringing together Christology and pneumatology and asks what scripture says about the spirit in the life of Christ. Spirit Christology examines the Holy Spirit's role in Christ’s ministry and its implications for Christian life today. According to Dr. Sánchez, renewed interest in the relationship between the Spirit and Christ has been sparked by the revival of Trinitarian studies, Vatican II, and the rise of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. Within the lived experience of Latine communities, the conversation examines how the Holy Spirit’s presence in Christ informs a theology of justice, marginalization, and inclusion. Drawing from biblical narratives of Christ's interactions with marginalized groups, the work argues that Spirit Christology empowers believers to engage in mission work centered on justice and inclusion. It highlights the significance of Christ's border-crossing ministry as a model for addressing the socio-political realities of Latine immigrants. By contextualizing Spirit Christology within this framework, Dr. Sanchez advocates for a theology that is spiritually transformative, encouraging solidarity and practical engagement with the struggles of marginalized communities. He claims that Spirit Christology “...shows how the spirit's place and activity draws Christ from a marginal place, because Christ himself, you know, is from Galilee…and ends up being also a marginalized figure.”

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 (Eerdmans, 2024). 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 talk 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, to disagree in love. 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.”