The groundbreaking work in Hispanic theology, relates the story of the Galilean Jesus to the story of a new mestizo people. In this work, which marked the arrival of a new era of Hispanic/Latino theology in the United States, Virgilio Elizondo described the "Galilee principle": "What human beings reject, God chooses as his very own". This principle is well understood by Mexican-Americans, for whom mestizaje -- the mingling of ethnicity, race, and culture -- is a distinctive feature of their identity. In the person of Jesus, whose marginalized Galilean identity also marked him as a mestizo, the Mexican-American struggle for identity and new life becomes luminous.

"Like the Chinese dicho, we are blessed to be living in interesting times, on the border of the new mestizaje. As one member of this exciting movimento nudging and being nudged into the future, I am delighted to have discovered this book. I have seen the new millennium and the future is us." -- Sandra Cisneros.

In these writings, Elizondo reflects on the personal journey behind his theology; on Jesus, Mary and Guadalupe; on the problem of sin and suffering; and on the way of discipleship.

A profound, poetic, and inspiring reflection on the meaning of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the apparition to the Indian Juan Diego in Mexico City in 1531.

In this remarkable rereading of the life of Jesus, theologian Virgilio Elizondo, cited by TIME Magazine as one our the spiritual innovators of out time, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and the healing his life offers to ourselves and our world today.

Presenting 16 new essays addressing important issues, movements and personalities in Latino religions in America, this book aims to overthrow the stereotype that Latinos are politically passive and that their churches have supported the status quo, failing to engage in or support the struggle for civil rights and social justice.

A celebration of the theology of Virgilio Elizondo that brings together his significant essays, previously unpublished in book form, along with critical reflections by a range of scholars. Beyond Borders is an indispensable treatment of the breadth of Virgilio Elizondo's theological and pastoral vision. Contributors include Thomas H. Groome, Orlando O. Espin, Jeeanette Rodriguez, Roberto S. Goizueta, Justo L. Gonzalez, John A. Coleman, Alejando Garcia-Rivera, Rosino Gibellini, Gloria Ines Loya, Anita de Luna, R. Stephen Warner, Carlos Mendoza, and Jacques Audinet.

"Virgil Elizondo inspires us to practice a virtue that excludes no one and desires good for everyone. Filled with true stories of love in action, Charity is spiritual reading at its best." ""Charity," he writes, "is allowing the life of God to work through our ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, deeds and words because God is love. What could be more beautiful?""--BOOK JACKET.

Since the publication of Gustavo Gutiérrez's 1973 groundbreaking work, A Theology of Liberation, much has been written on liberation theology and its central premise of the preferential option for the poor. Arguably, this has been one of the most important yet controversial theological themes of the twentieth century. As globalization creates greater gaps between the rich and the poor, and as the situation for many of the world’s poor worsens, there is an ever greater need to understand the gift and challenge of Christian faith from the context of the poor and marginalized of our society. This volume draws on the thought of leading international scholars and explores how the Christian tradition can help us understand the theological foundations for the option for the poor. The central focus of the book revolves around the question, How can one live a Christian life in a world of destitution? The contributors are concerned not only with a social, economic, or political understanding of poverty but above all with the option for the poor as a theological concept. While these essays are rooted in a solid grounding of our present “reality,” they look to the past to understand some of the central truths of Christian faith and to the future as a source of Christian hope. Following Gustavo Gutiérrez's essay on the multidimensionality of poverty, Elsa Tamez, Hugh Page, Jr., Brian Daley, and Jon Sobrino identify a central theological premise: poverty is contrary to the will of God. Drawing on scripture, the writings of the early fathers, the witness of Christian martyrs, and contemporary theological reflection, they argue that poverty represents the greatest challenge to Christian faith and discipleship. David Tracy and J. Matthew Ashley carry their reflection forward by examining the option for the poor in light of apocalyptic thought. Virgilio Elizondo, Patrick Kalilombe, María Pilar Aquino, M. Shawn Copeland, and Mary Catherine Hilkert examine the challenges of poverty with respect to culture, Africa, race, and gender. Casiano Floristán and Luis Maldonado explore the relationship between poverty, sacramentality, and popular religiosity. The final two essays by Aloysius Pieris and Michael Signer consider the option for the poor in relationship to other major world religions, particularly an Asian theology of religions and the meaning of care for the poor within Judaism.

San Fernando Cathedral is the inspiring story of how a church built nearly two and a half centuries ago remains a wellspring of life an renewal today. Know for its public rituals that attract thousands to down town San Antonio - particularly during Holy Week and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - San Fernando Cathedral nurtures and nourishes a diverse and dynamic population; it is indeed the soul of the city.