The Mestizo/a Community of the Spirit by Oscar Garcia-Johnson - My Reflections

Chp. 1
Practical theology is theology rooted in praxis – in other words, practical theology does not have its starting point in the minds of men, but in the experience of people. As I see it, this sort of theology has the benefit of allowing for the Holy Spirit to do as he pleases, which can defy rational logic. Theology that is based on the systematic approach of the mind tends to quench the work of the Spirit. On the other hand, relying too much on what can be experienced may be dangerous in constructing doctrine because what can be experienced may or may not be of the Spirit of God.

Chp. 2
Latino practical theology is rooted in culture, since culture is thought to be the creation of the Spirit of God. This is no doubt true when the Spirit of God directs people in creating the culture of the Spirit (i.e. the church – p. 67). Yet it cannot be true that the Spirit creates all that is to be found in a culture – humans inevitably create things apart from the direction of God. Moreover, these elements of culture inevitably interact with the church, making it delicate to determine what is of the Spirit within the church of God; thus, a theology rooted in culture is rooted in an environment of confusion.

Chp. 3
Latino/a practical theology of the Spirit ought to embrace the narrative of the Pentecost along with the cruciform life of Jesus. Pentecost serves as a reminder that the Spirit of God speaks in multiple languages to a multiplicity of cultures. In other words, the narrative of Pentecost is an affirmation for the diversity present amongst cultures in our day as well as the diversity present within a culture such as Latino/a culture. The cruciform life of Christ is a reminder of sufferings that one is to go through in life and is helpful for Latinos (actually all individuals) to remember who are experiencing the banes of a disadvantaged life.

Chp. 4
Latino/a theology embraces the concept of mañana, a futuristic outlook towards change coming to the community – such an outlook inspires hope. I would agree that a futuristic/ eschatological outlook can be very beneficial because it inspires hope and because it can (and must) inspire action. If an outlook towards tomorrow is grounded in fatalism, it can be deadly because it will not inspire any change. When change fails to happen, hope eventually loses its significance. Yet, if the outlook towards tomorrow is grounded in the concept of free will and the dreams of men who desire to make a difference, then change can occur and the hope will not disappoint.

Reflections on 12-2

Bolger: "Pentecostalism is a non-Western faith that has come to the West"; this then provides a partial explanation of the growth of Pentecostalism in the West

Nevertheless, when we look back to a history of Pentecostalism, we see that it started in the West - specifically in Kansas with a white man, Charles Parham. William Seymour, the son of a slave and an early proponent of Pentecostalism may provide some fodder for those describing Pentecostalism as a non-Western faith; truthfully, however, it would be difficult to say that Pentecostalism was brought to the West. Pentecostalism is not Western in its practice or logical foundation, but neither was it an import from the East. Hence, one might say that Pentecostalism is not culturally grounded - instead it is grounded in the Spirit.