Keynote Speaker: Dr. Robert Chao Romero
Responders: Dr. Antonio Eduardo Alonso & Dr. Jessica Lugo Melendez
Moderator: Dr. Ted Smith
This session delves into the "chronic vigor" of Dr. Justo González’ Mañana, exploring its radical relevance 35 years after its publication. The speakers address the current crisis of faith in North America—marked by the mass exodus of youth and the rise of religious nationalism—offering Mañana as a roadmap for theological deconstruction and reconstruction. The conversation centers on the "New Reformation" and the call for a faith that integrates deep spirituality with a radical commitment to justice.
Key Points from the Lectures:
- The Failure of the North and Modernity’s Wager: Dr. Robert Chao Romero posited that the North Atlantic "modernist hubris"—the wager that life can be lived well without God—has lost the bet. He noted that the 20th-century fundamentalist-modernist debates have run their course, leaving many young people stuck between a "white Christian nationalism" and a "progressive Christianity" that often lacks a deep encounter with the Holy Spirit.
- A New Reformation of the Global South: The "Browning" of the Church is not just demographic but hermeneutical. Christianity is returning to its origins as a faith of the marginalized. Dr. Romero emphasized that we will not fully know God until the Gospel is read through the lenses of all cultural groups (Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Swahili, etc.), moving away from North Atlantic male theology as the sole "normative" voice.
- The Gospel of "Jesus el Pelado": Drawing from Chicano cultural frameworks, Dr. Romero contrasted fresa(elite/snobby) theology with the "Gospel of the pelados" (the excluded/lower class). Jesus was not a fresa; He was a carpenter from colonized Galilee. This "divine scandal" insists that God heals creation from the inside out, starting with the vulnerable.
- Eschatological Humility: Dr. Antonio Alonso challenged the popular but "blasphemous" phrase "God has no hands but yours." He argued that while God uses us, the Divine purpose does not depend solely on human failure or success. This "eschatological humility" frees the church to resist injustice more deeply, knowing that the coming reign of God is a breach with the present "disorderly order," not just a human evolution of it.
- From Dual Realities to Stewardship: Dr. Jessica Lugo Melendez spoke on the complexity of the Puerto Rican and Latina experience—living between worlds, being citizens but not sovereign. She argued that this complexity is not a problem to fix, but a reality to "steward." Mañana serves as a leadership roadmap for those who are "going somewhere on purpose," calling the church to move from merely opening doors to truly sharing authority.
Final Invitation:
The session concluded with a call to lead with "tenderness and truth." If we want a better Mañana, we must lead faithfully today (aquí y ahora). The future of theology belongs not to those who guard it in the "ivory tower," but to those who live it in the streets and in community.
Visit our website: aeth.org
