ML2130:  Lutheran Confessions from a Hispanic Perspective

Spring Semester 2004

Instructor:  Dr. Javier (Jay) Alanís

Duration:   April 5 – May 3, 2004

Time:         10:00 – 11:15, MW

Place:         Room 214

 

Goals:

  • To engage in critical examination of the Lutheran confessional tradition from the cultural perspective of Hispanic/Latino/a persons and their communities
  • To become acquainted with the interpretation of the confessional tradition by some Hispanic/Latino/a Lutherans through their writings and oral interviews
  • To reflect on the implications of this cultural perspective for congregational mission and ministry

 

Format:

  • Two discussion sessions per week based on the assigned readings
  • Each student will be responsible for presenting a critical review of an assigned reading during each class session
  • All students will be expected to participate in the discussion of all assigned readings

 

Requirements:

·        Class attendance and participation in discussion

·        Weekly one-page reflections on how you see the class topics for that week relating to news items of a religious or secular nature concerning the issues of justice in one of the local Spanish-language newspapers (El Mundo, El Norte) [due on Mondays, April 19, 26].  A total of 2 required.  Inquire: Does the community separate the secular from the religious or are the two somehow inter-related?  What is the nature of confession in the public forum? 

·        A report from an interview with a Hispanic/Latino/a, preferably Lutheran, in which the student inquires on the meaning and interpretation of their confession of faith from their religious, cultural, socio-economic and political social location

·         3-page final paper reflecting on your understanding of the Lutheran confessional tradition from the perspective of the Hispanic/Latino/a community based on our readings, discussions in class, and interviews [due Monday, May 3]

 

Grading:

  • All written work is due on the dates specified in the syllabus.
  • All written work must be handed in by the final day of class in order to receive a passing grade
  • Class attendance is expected and absences will lower your grade
  • Grades will be assessed as S or F based on the following criteria:

 

Newspaper reflections:    10%   Report from interviews:  30%

Class presentations:         20%   Final Paper:  40%

Class Schedule:

 

Monday, April 5         Introduction; Review of syllabus; Historical overview

Read:  José David Rodríguez, “Confessing Our Faith In Spanish,

Challenge or Promise?”

 

Wednesday, April 7    Interpreting the Tradition:  Confessing Christians

                                    Read:  J. D. Rodríguez, “Confessing the Faith from a Hispanic

Perspective.”

 

Monday, April 12         Easter Monday, no class

 

Wed., April 14            Interpreting the Tradition:   Prophetic Message

                                    Read:  Aponte, “Coritos as Active Symbols in Latino Protestant

Popular Religion” and Collingson-Streng and de la Tejera, “Bible

and Mission in a Hispanic Congregation”       

 

                                    Particular Themes:  Christ and Salvation

                                    Read:  Altmann, “The Cross” in Luther and Liberation

 

Monday, April 19       Particular Themes:  Justification through Faith

Read: Alanís, Dignity for the Foreigner, 188-220; Baesler, “Justification:  Another Side to the Story;” and Mercedes García Bachmann, “The Difficult Path from Justification  to Justice”

 

One-page reflections.

 

Wed., April 21            Particular Themes:  Grace and Works

Read:  Rodríguez, “Breaking Down Barriers”

 

Particular Themes:  Universal Priesthood of Believers

Read:  Gómez, “The Holy Spirit Unites Christians in Joy”

 

Monday, April 26       One-page reflections.

 

                                    Particular Themes: The Two Kingdoms

Read:  Altmann, “Reinterpreting the Doctrine of Two Kingdoms”

Read (compare):  Westhelle, “The Third Bank of the River”:

Thoughts on Justification and Justice 

 

Wed., April 28            Pastoral Implications:  The Mass and Prayer

Read:  Salomon, “The Role of Liturgy in Hispanic Lutheran Churches” and Westhelle, “On Displacing Words:  The Lord’s Prayer and the New Definition of Justice”         

 

Monday, May 3           Student Reports on Interviews and Final Papers

ML2130:  Lutheran Confessions from a Hispanic/Latino/a Perspective

Spring Semester 2004

Reserve Readings

 

Alanís, Javier R. “ Dignity for the Foreigner:  A Study of the Doctrine of the Imago Dei

from a Lutheran Hispanic/Latino Perspective.” Ph.D. diss., Chicago:  LSTC,

2002

 

Altmann, Walter.  “The Cross.” Chapter in Luther and Liberation:  A Latin American

Perspective.  Trans. Mary M. Solberg.  Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 1992.

 

Altmann, Walter.  “Reinterpreting the Doctrine of Two Kingdoms.”  In Faith Born in the

Struggle for Life:  A Re-Reading of Protestant Faith in Latin American Today, ed.

Dow Kirkpatrick, trans. Lewistine McCoy, 137-155.  Grand Rapids, Mich.: 

Eerdmans.

 

Baesler, Ronald.  “Justification:  Another Side to the Story.”  Apuntes 18 (Fall 1998): 80-

84.

 

Collingson-Streng, Paul and Ismael de la Tejera.  “Bible and Mission in a Hispanic

            Congregation.”  In Bible and Mission:  Biblical Foundations and Working

Models for Congregational Ministry, ed. Wayne Stumme, 129-137.  Minneapolis: 

Augsburg, 1986.

 

García, Alberto L.  “The Witness to the Cross in Light of the Hispanic Experience.”  In

The Theology of the Cross for the 21st Century, ed. Alberto L. García and A. R.

Victor Raj, 189-215.  St. Louis:  Concordia, 2002.

 

García-Bachmann, Mercedes.  “The Difficult Path from Justification to Justice.”  In

Justification and Justice, ed. Viggo Mortensen, 37-50.  Geneva:  Lutheran World

Federation, 1992.

 

Gómez, Medardo Ernesto.  “The Holy  Spirit Unites Christians in Joy.”  Chapter in And

the Word Became History:  Messages Forged in the Fires of Central American

Conflict.  Minneapolis:  Augsburg, 1992.

 

Rodríguez, José D.  “Breaking Down Barriers.” Apuntes 13 (Winter 1993): 203-212.

 

Rodríguez, José D. “Confessing our Faith in Spanish.”  In Hispanic/Latino Theology:

Challenge and Promise, ed. Ada María Isasi-Díaz and Fernando F. Segovia, 351-

366.  Minneapolis:  Fortress, 1996.

 

Rodríguez, José D.  “Confessing the Faith from  a Hispanic Perspective.”  In

Protestantes/Protestants:  Hispanic Christianity Within Mainline Traditions, ed.

David Maldonado, Jr., 107-122.  Nashville:  Abingdon, 1999.

 

Salomon, Esaul.  “The Role of Liturgy in Hispanic Lutheran Churches.”  Lutheran

Forum 25 (1991): 30, 31.  

 

Westhelle, Vitor.  “On Displacing Words:  The Lord’s Prayer and the New Definition of

Justice.”  Word and World 22 (Winter 2002): 27-35.

 

Westhelle, Vitor.  “The Third Bank of the River”: Thoughts  on Justification and Justice. 

In Justification and Justice, ed. Viggo Mortensen, 29-36.  Geneva:  Lutheran

World Federation, 1992.