JosE MartI's Liberative Political Theology argues that MartI's religious views, which at first glance might appear outdated and irrelevant, are actually critical to understanding his social vision. During a time where the predominate philosophical view was materialistic (Darwin, Marx) MartI sought to reconcile social and political trends with the metaphysical, believing that ignoring the spiritual would create a soulless approach toward achieving a liberative society. As such, MartI used religious concepts and ideas as a tool that could bring forth a more just social order. In short, this book argues MartI could be considered a precursor to what would come to be called, Liberation Theology.Miguel De La Torre has authored the most comprehensive text written thus far concerning MartI's religious views and how they impacted his political thought. The few similar texts that exist are written in Spanish; and among those, mainly romanticize MartI's spirituality in an attempt of portraying him as a 'Christian believer.' Only a handful provide an academic investigation of MartI's theological thought based solely on his writings, and those concentrate on just one aspect of MartI's religious influences. JosE MartI's Liberative Political Theology allows for mutual influence between MartI's political and religious views rather than assuming one had precedence over the other.

The purpose of this handbook is to introduce the reader to Christian concepts from the perspective of U.S. marginalized communities. It explores the interrelationship between religion, community, and culture in the social context of different marginalized groups, specifically those rooted in the African American, Amerindian, Asian American, feminist, gay/lesbian, and Hispanic experiences, and their impact on the development of U.S. theologies of liberation. The handbook gives attention to the history, nature, sources, and development of these theologies and the theologians who contributed to their formation. Of particular interest is how Handbook of U.S. Theologies of Liberation clearly distinguishes both the differences and similarities between these U.S. theologies and their Latin American counterparts. The handbook is divided into two sections: Thematic Essays that provide a general overview of a specific theological theme from the perspectives of different marginalized groups; and Contextual Essays that focus on the specific contributions of scholars from various racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds.

JosE MartI's Liberative Political Theology argues that MartI's religious views, which at first glance might appear outdated and irrelevant, are actually critical to understanding his social vision. During a time where the predominate philosophical view was materialistic (Darwin, Marx) MartI sought to reconcile social and political trends with the metaphysical, believing that ignoring the spiritual would create a soulless approach toward achieving a liberative society. As such, MartI used religious concepts and ideas as a tool that could bring forth a more just social order. In short, this book argues MartI could be considered a precursor to what would come to be called, Liberation Theology.Miguel De La Torre has authored the most comprehensive text written thus far concerning MartI's religious views and how they impacted his political thought. The few similar texts that exist are written in Spanish; and among those, mainly romanticize MartI's spirituality in an attempt of portraying him as a 'Christian believer.' Only a handful provide an academic investigation of MartI's theological thought based solely on his writings, and those concentrate on just one aspect of MartI's religious influences. JosE MartI's Liberative Political Theology allows for mutual influence between MartI's political and religious views rather than assuming one had precedence over the other.

This book by Miguel De La Torre offers a fascinating guide to the history, beliefs, rituals, and culture of Santeria - a religious tradition that, despite persecution, suppression, and its own secretive nature, has close to a million adherents in the United States alone. Santeria is a religion with Afro-Cuban roots, rising out of the cultural clash between the Yoruba people of West Africa and the Spanish Catholics who brought them to the Americas as slaves. As a faith of the marginalized and persecuted, it gave oppressed men and women strength and the will to survive. With the exile of thousands of Cubans in the wake of Castro's revolution in 1959, Santeria came to the United States, where it is gradually coming to be recognized as a legitimate faith tradition. Apart from vague suspicions that Santeria's rituals include animal sacrifice and notions that it is a "syncretistic" form of Catholicism, most people in America's cultural and religious mainstream know very little about this rich faith tradition - in fact, many have never heard of it at all. De La Torre, who was reared in Santeria, sets out in this book to provide a basic understanding of its inner workings. He clearly explains the particular worldview, myths, rituals, and practices of Santeria, and he discusses what role the religion typically plays in the life of its practitioners as well as the cultural influence it continues to exert in Latin American communities today. In offering a balanced, informed survey of Santeria from his unique "insider-outsider" perspective, De La Torre also provides insight into how Christianity and Santeria can enter into dialogue - a dialogue that will challenge Christians to consider what this emerging faith tradition can teach them about their own. Enhanced with illustrations, tables, and a glossary, De La Torre's Santeria sheds light on a religion all too often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.