THE FEAST OF THE UNINVITED: POPULAR RELIGION, LIBERATION, HYBRIDITY BY MARIO BELLEMARE A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael's College and the Department of Theology of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Awarded by University of St. Michael's College Toronto 2008 © MARIO BELLEMARE Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43211-2 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43211-2 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Canada ii ABSTRACT THE FEAST OF THE UNINVITED: POPULAR RELIGION, LIBERATION, HYBRIDITY BY MARIO BELLEMARE Doctor of Philosophy in Theology University of St. Michael's College, 2008 This thesis examines how some Latin American and Caribbean liberation theologians rooted their theologies in popular religion. My consideration of these theologians is framed through a liberationist and postcolonial perspective. This thesis will argue that the everyday religious and symbolic language of ordinary people-those rituals, pilgrimages, prayers, fiestas, and processions that have been studied under the term popular religion-has been central to the development of Latin American liberation theologies in the last thirty-five years. Popular religion has been an area of theological inquiry that has opened up new possibilities and trajectories for liberation theologies within the changing context of the region, especially as they relate to issues of religious and cultural pluralism. In chapter one, I explore what Luis Maldonado called the "unitive" and "conflictive" tensions that surfaced around the term popular religion, especially with respect to the work of the Argentinean Juan Carlos Scannone and in Peru in the mid- 1970s. In the second chapter, I examine Diego Irarrazaval's emphasis on fiesta in his theology, which he developed while studying popular religion in Peru in the 1980s, especially the everyday practices of Indigenous (Aymaran) peoples. In chapter three, I focus on the work of Cristian Parker, in order to explore the realm of religious syncretism in popular religion. Parker argues for what he calls an "otra logica" (an/other logic) that iii is distinct from (but also takes from) modern Eurocentric rationality. In chapter four, I return to the theologies of Irarrazaval and Parker and critically evaluate their unique contributions in light of the current changes happening in Latin America and the Caribbean. To conclude, I consider Ivone Gebara's notion of "religious biodiversity" (1999), Irarrazaval's recent theological undertaking in the area of the "inter-cultural" (2004a), and other recent liberationist material, as important examples of the way liberationists are framing the religious and cultural pluralism of Latin America and the Caribbean. This thesis will show that liberationist perspectives on popular religion, in conjunction with the "new voices," have helped establish a critique of integrated or essentialist readings of popular religion that continue to be championed by the 'official' Roman Catholic church. iv DEDICATION A tous ceux et celles qui "vivent dans le melange." V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my companera Tamara for her daily accompaniment, support, and passion for justice; Allan for his deep listening and friendship; the rest of the Volatile Works crew, Brad and Glenn, for their support and solidarity; Nice Music, especially Dan, for helping me to keep going; the Student Christian Movement (SCM) of Canada, especially Rick, Susannah, Joelle, and Sheilagh for being a place where I could develop a theology of friendship; the World Student Christian Federation, for being a place where I could participate in global justice programs; the Movimiento estudantil cristiano (MEC) of Mexico, especially Gabriela, Ruben, and Samuel, for their support; the SCM of the Philippines, for taking me into the mountains and initiating me to a "conflictive" perspective; the now defunct Instituto de Estudios Aymaras in Chucuito (Peru) for showing me that "conflictive" and "culture" were not distinct terms; the Instituto Bartolome de la Casas, in Lima, for their support; Diego for taking me in and giving me his time; Sarah for her fine and thoughtful editing; Mary for her work on the picture lay­ out; Lee for his rigour and patience; Dino for his Sunday meals in Toronto; and my parents Carmelina and Andre for their unwavering support. All photographs are the copyright of the author. Opening image by Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), "Gran fandango yfrancachela de todas las calaveras" belongs in the Public Domain. It can be located at: http://www.artchive.eom/artchive/P/posada/fandango.jpg.html (accessed May 20, 2008). VI THE FEAST OF THE UNINVITED Gran fandango y francachela de todas las calaveras by Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet." But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet." Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.' Matthew 22:1-10 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 POPULAR RELIGION: LIBERATION AND HYBRIDITY Postcolonial Latin America and the Caribbean Crossroads Theology: Liberationist and Postcolonial A Subaltern Approach to Popular Religion What is Popular Religion? The 'People' of Popular Religion The Feast of the Uninvited CHAPTER ONE 50 IDENTITY AND LIBERATION: POPULAR RELIGION IN LATIN AMERICAN THEOLOGIES POPULAR RELIGION AND IDENTITY Whose Modernity? Pedro Monrande and Baroque Modernity Liberationist Hermeneutic: Two Major Trends? Scannone's Typologies for Popular Religion Scannone's Historical-Critical and Sapiential Typology POPULAR RELIGION AND LIBERATION Culture and Conflict: The Peruvian Example Gutierrez, Dependency, and the CEBs The Question of Ideology Segundo and Religious Oppression CHAPTER Two 107 AN INVITATION TO THE FEAST: DIEGO IRARRAZAVAL AND FIESTA CAMINAR CON EL CRISTO Critiquing Religious Oppression Un pueblo caminando con el Cristo Morado! Irarrazaval's Typologies A Church Moving Forward FIESTA IN THE ANDES Manchay Tiempo and Chayraq The Festive and "Real" Resistance The Festive and Fujishock The Anti-Pueblo and Desculturacion The Reign and Sanation CHAPTER THREE 157 THE ARRIVAL OF THE UNINVITED: CRISTIAN PARKER AND OTRA LOGIC A POPULAR RELIGION AND SYMBOLIC PROTEST Beginnings and Liberationist Universals Parker's "Models" within the Symbolic Field of Popular Religion The Chilean Example and Symbolic Protest SYNCRETISM AND OTHER RATIONALITIES Subaltern Syncretism Baptism and Resemantization The Popular Classes of Modernity CHAPTER FOUR 200 LIBERATION THEOLOGIES IN TIEMPOS MIXTOS: HYBRIDITY, CULTURE, AND PLURALISM LIBERATIONISTS AND HYBRIDITY Liberation or Postcolonial Hermeneutics Liberationist Disparagement of Popular Religion? Lo Cotidiano and Feminism Indigenous Theologies: Eleazar Lopez Hernandez TOWARD A LIBERATIONIST-POSTCOLONIAL CRITIQUE Modernity and Latin American/Caribbean