Decolonizing Epistemologies: Latina/O Theology and Philosophy

335 Pages·2011·1.132 MB·English

by  Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz (editor), Eduardo Mendieta (editor)

DECOLONIZING EPISTEMOLOGIES

TRANSDISCIPLINARY THEOLOGICAL COLLOQUIA
Theologyhashoveredfortwomillenniabetweenscripturalmetaphorand
philosophicalthinking;ittakesfleshinitssymbolic,communal,andethi-
calpractices.Withthegiftofthishistoryandinthespiritofitsunrealized
potential,theTransdisciplinaryTheologicalColloquiaintensifymovement
betweenandbeyondthefieldsofreligion.Amultivocaldiscourseoftheol-
ogytakesplaceintheinterstices,atonceself-deconstructiveinitspluralism
andconstructiveinitsaffirmations.
HostedannuallybyDrewUniversity’sTheologicalSchool,thecolloquia
provideamatrixforsuchconversations,whileFordhamUniversityPress
servesasthemidwifefortheirpublication.Committedtotheslowtrans-
formation of religio-cultural symbolism, the colloquia continue Drew’s
longhistoryofengaginghistorical,biblical,andphilosophicalhermeneu-
tics,practicesofsocialjustice,andexperimentsintheopoetics.
STEERING COMMITTEE
CatherineKeller,Director
VirginiaBurrus
StephenD.Moore

D E C O L O N I Z I N G
E P I S T E M O L O G I E S
Latina/o Theology and Philosophy
E D I T E D B Y
A D A M A R´I A I S A S I - D´I A Z
A N D E D U A R D O M E N D I E TA
fordham university press (cid:2) new york (cid:2) 2012
Copyright(cid:2)2012FordhamUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublication
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Decolonizingepistemologies:Latina/o
theologyandphilosophy/editedbyAdaMar´ıa
Isasi-D´ıazandEduardoMendieta.—1sted.
p. cm.—(Transdisciplinarytheological
colloquia)
Proceedingsofacolloquium,the8thinaseries
ofcolloquia,heldin2008attheTheological
SchoolofDrewUniversity.
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p. )and
index.
ISBN978-0-8232-4135-4(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN
978-0-8232-4136-1(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.HispanicAmericantheology—Congresses.
2.Socialepistemology—UnitedStates—
Congresses.I.Isasi-D´ıaz,AdaMar´ıa.
II.Mendieta,Eduardo.
BT83.575.D43 2012
230.089(cid:2)68073—dc23
2011028549
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
14 13 12 5 4 3 2 1
Firstedition
To grassroots Latinas and Latinos in our communities
whose voices are not heard, no matter how loud you speak.
For not listening to you, we ask pardon.
Do not give up on us, your sisters and brothers in the academy.
Keep speaking your truth.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction:FreeingSubjugatedKnowledge(cid:3)
AdaMar´ıaIsasi-D´ıaz
andEduardoMendieta 1
KNOWING REALITY
DecolonizingWesternEpistemology/BuildingDecolonial
Epistemologies(cid:3)WalterMignolo 19
MujeristaDiscourse:APlatformforLatinas’Subjugated
Knowledge(cid:3)AdaMar´ıaIsasi-D´ıaz 44
MethodologicalNotestowardaDecolonialFeminism(cid:3)
Mar´ıaLugones 68
An(other)InvitationtoEpistemologicalHumility:Notestoward
aSelf-CriticalApproachtoCounter-Knowledges(cid:3)OttoMaduro 87
LATINA/O LOCUS HISTORICUS
Anti-LatinoRacism(cid:3)LindaMart´ınAlcoff 107
TheActofRemembering:TheReconstructionofU.S.Latina/o
IdentitiesbyU.S.Latina/oMuslims(cid:3)HjamilA.Mart´ınez-Va´zquez 127
IfItIsNotCatholic,IsItPopularCatholicism?EvilEye,
Espiritismo,andSanter´ıa:Latina/oReligionwithinLatina/o
Theology(cid:3)MichelleA.Gonza´lez 151
x (cid:3) contents
‘‘Racismisnotintellectual’’:InterracialFriendship,Multicultural
Literature,andDecolonizingEpistemologies(cid:3)PaulaM.L.Moya 169
MAPPING LATINA/O FUTURES
Epistemology,Ethics,andtheTime/SpaceofDecolonization:
PerspectivesfromtheCaribbeanandtheLatina/oAmericas(cid:3)
NelsonMaldonado-Torres 193
ThinkingBodies:TheSpiritofaLatinaIncarnational
Imagination(cid:3)MayraRiveraRivera 207
DecolonizingReligion:PragmatismandLatina/oReligious
Experience(cid:3)ChristopherTirres 226
TheEthicsof(Not)Knowing:TakeCareofEthicsand
KnowledgeWillComeofItsOwnAccord(cid:3)EduardoMendieta 247
Notes 265
ListofContributors 311
Index 313