2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

RS 260 - US LatinX Spiritualities


According to social scientists Robert Putnam and David Campbell, Latinx Catholics make up more than one third of the US Catholic Church and are well on their way to achieving majority status. In light of these changing demographics, what impact do US Latinx spiritualities have on the culture around them? This course will begin with an exploration of Latinx religious history and identity in the US, including Latinxs’ complex relationships to Anglo religious leadership. Who are Latinx believers, and how to they relate to majority-Anglo culture, spirituality, and religious institutions in the US? For generations, distinctly Latinx rituals such as Las Posadas and devotion to saints such as Our Lady of Guadalupe have fostered a thriving spiritual and cultural community on the margins. How can we interpret these Latinx practices as texts, and how do they de-center traditional Anglo understandings of religion? We will pay particular attention to popular expressions of Latinx spirituality such as music, fiesta, and dance, in addition to the everyday experiences of ordinary believers-what mujerista theologian María Isasi-Díaz calls lo cotidiano. This course will also explore the impact that US Latinx spiritualities have had on US society through their contributions on spiritual and political vision, movements for civil rights, the arts, and contemporary political realities. 

 

1 semester 3 credits.
Fall