The aesthetics of solidarity : Our Lady of Guadalupe and American democracy

How aesthetic religious experiences can create solidarity in marginalized communities Latine Catholics have used Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol in democratic campaigns ranging from the Chicano movement and United Farm Workers' movements to contemporary calls for just immigration reform. In diverse ways, these groups have used Guadalupe's symbol and narrative to critique society's basic structures ― including law, policy, and institutions ― while seeking to inspire broader participation and representation among marginalized peoples in US democracy. Yet, from the outside, Guadalupe's symbol is illegible within a liberal political framework that seeks to protect society's basic structures from religious encroachment by relegating religious speech, practices, and symbols to the background. The Aesthetics of Solidarity argues for the capacity of Our Lady of Guadalupe ― and similar religious symbols ― to make democratic claims. Author Nichole M. Flores exposes the limitations of political liberalism's aesthetic responses to religious difference, turning instead to Latine theological aesthetics and Catholic social thought to build a framework for interpreting religious symbols in our contemporary pluralistic and participatory democratic life. By offering a lived theology of Chicanx Catholics in Denver, Colorado, and their use of Guadalupe in the pursuit of justice in response to their neighborhood's gentrification, this book provides an important framework for a community of interpretation where members stand in solidarity to respond to justice claims made from diverse religious and cultural communities.

How aesthetic religious experiences can createsolidarity in marginalized communities

Latine Catholics have used Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol indemocratic campaigns ranging from the Chicano movement and UnitedFarm Workers' movements to contemporary calls for just immigrationreform. In diverse ways, these groups have used Guadalupe's symboland narrative to critique society's basic structures-including law,policy, and institutions-while seeking to inspire broaderparticipation and representation among marginalized peoples in USdemocracy.

Yet, from the outside, Guadalupe's symbol is illegible within aliberal political framework that seeks to protect society's basicstructures from religious encroachment by relegating religiousspeech, practices, and symbols to the background.

The Aesthetics of Solidarity argues for the capacity ofOur Lady of Guadalupe-and similar religious symbols-to makedemocratic claims. Author Nichole M. Flores exposes the limitationsof political liberalism's aesthetic responses to religiousdifference, turning instead to Latine theological aesthetics andCatholic social thought to build a framework for interpretingreligious symbols in our contemporary pluralistic and participatorydemocratic life. By offering a lived theology of Chicanx Catholicsin Denver, Colorado, and their use of Guadalupe in the pursuit ofjustice in response to their neighborhood's gentrification, thisbook provides an important framework for a community ofinterpretation where members stand in solidarity to respond tojustice claims made from diverse religious and culturalcommunities.

Focusing on Latine theological aesthetics and Catholic socialthought, Nichole M. Flores builds a framework for interpretingreligious symbols in our contemporary democratic life and shows howwe can create a community where members stand in solidarity withthose from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.

Focusing on Latine theological aesthetics and Catholic social thought, Nichole M. Flores builds a framework for interpreting religious symbols in our contemporary democratic life and shows how we can create a community where members stand in solidarity with those from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. | How aesthetic religious experiences can create solidarity in marginalized communities Latine Catholics have used Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol in democratic campaigns ranging from the Chicano movement and United Farm Workers' movements to contemporary calls for just immigration reform. In diverse ways, these groups have used Guadalupe's symbol and narrative to critique society's basic structures—including law, policy, and institutions—while seeking to inspire broader participation and representation among marginalized peoples in US democracy. Yet, from the outside, Guadalupe's symbol is illegible within a liberal political framework that seeks to protect society's basic structures from religious encroachment by relegating religious speech, practices, and symbols to the background. The Aesthetics of Solidarity argues for the capacity of Our Lady of Guadalupe—and similar religious symbols—to make democratic claims. Author Nichole M. Flores exposes the limitations of political liberalism's aesthetic responses to religious difference, turning instead to Latine theological aesthetics and Catholic social thought to build a framework for interpreting religious symbols in our contemporary pluralistic and participatory democratic life. By offering a lived theology of Chicanx Catholics in Denver, Colorado, and their use of Guadalupe in the pursuit of justice in response to their neighborhood's gentrification, this book provides an important framework for a community of interpretation where members stand in solidarity to respond to justice claims made from diverse religious and cultural communities. "Latinx Catholics have used Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol in democratic campaigns ranging from the United Farm Workers movement to the Chicano movement to the movement for just immigration reform. In diverse ways, these groups use Guadalupe's symbol and narrative to make claims about justice in society's basic structures (law, policy, institutions, for example) while seeking to generate greater participation and representation in US democracy. Yet, Guadalupe is illegible within a liberal political framework that seeks to protect society's basic structures from religious encroachment by relegating religious speech, practices, and symbols to the realm of the background culture. In response to this problem, religious ethicists have argued for expansions of the liberal framework that would make religious language, arguments, and practices communities legible within a pluralistic society without capitulating to anti-democratic modes of governance that undermine pluralism. What remains unexplored is the way that the aesthetic dimensions of particular religious traditions can be engaged toward cultivating a more participatory democracy that invites substantive contributions to society's common life from religious people and communities. Instead, in conversation with political liberalism, Latinx theological aesthetics, and Catholic social thought, The Aesthetics of Solidarity examines the use of particular religious symbols to make democratic claims and generate greater participation and presence in the life of US democracy. After evaluating liberalism's capacity for constructive engagement with religion toward strengthening democratic participation, the project employs Latinx theological aesthetics and Catholic social thought to offer a constructive framework for interpreting religious symbols in the context of a religiously pluralistic and participatory democratic life"-- Provided by publisher Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 A Political Theology of Guadalupe and Juan Diego 2 John Rawls’s Liberal Imagination 3 Martha Nussbaum’s Liberal Aesthetics 4 Lifting Up the Lowly 5 The Aesthetic Dimension of Solidarity Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z About the Author

Focusing on Latine theological aesthetics and Catholic social thought, Nichole M. Flores builds a framework for interpreting religious symbols in our contemporary democratic life and shows how we can create a community where members stand in solidarity with those from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.