Topical - Latinx Studies: Postcolonial Theology

In her book The Touch of Transcendence: A Postcolonial Theology of God, Mayra Rivera asserts that we need to evaluate how colonial forms of governance, identity, and representation have influenced the ways that we think and talk about God and the ways we talk to God. To that end, Postcolonial theology seeks to understand, evaluate, and dismantle the foundations of colonialism in our discourse with and about God. It examines if the colonial mindset is resonant with or in conflict with the life and teachings of Jesus. It critiques the embedded colonial ideologies in our theology, and how they have become tools of power for dominant cultures. In Latinx theology, postcolonial theory offers a re-reading of colonial history from the perspective of the colonized peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean, calling attention to systemic injustice and the plight of the oppressed.

- Rev. Santi Rodriguez, MDiv'21