! THE WISDOM OF LA FRONTERA: A CHRISTOLOGY FROM AND FOR THE INTERSTICIES By Laura Michele Taylor Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Religion May, 2013 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Fernando F. Segovia Ellen Armour Paul DeHart James Hudnut-Beumler José Medina ! ! ! ! Copyright © 2013 by Laura Michele Taylor All Rights Reserved ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! To my parents, Jane and Tom, whose unconditional love, compassion, and support encourages me to make a positive difference in the world and To my undergraduate mentors, John, Paul, Nancy, and Ellen, who first inspired in me a love of learning and a passion for faith seeking understanding iii! ! ACKNOWLEDGEMNTS During the writing and completion of this project, I have received assistance and encouragement from many individuals for whom I am grateful. I am thankful for the opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for all those who have helped to make this work possible, whether personally or professionally. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor and committee chair, Fernando Segovia. His patient guidance and mentorship has been invaluable to me during my time at Vanderbilt University. His commitment to the Global South and willingness to take a stand on behalf of all those who have been marginalized and oppressed provided the foundational experience of my graduate education, giving me with a sense of identity and belonging in my own theological journey. Fernando’s thoughtful encouragement and constructive criticism have enabled me bring this work to fruition. For this, I am grateful I owe a sincere appreciation to my committee members. Their insights and input during the early stages of this work helped me to develop my initial ideas into a doctoral dissertation. My coursework with Paul DeHart helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the categories and content of historical and contemporary theologies, enabling me start formulating my own theological questions. It was also in his class that I was first introduced to the work of George Lindbeck. José Medina’s course on “Meaning, Identity, and Difference” helped me to place these theological questions and insights into a philosophical framework, using categories of gender, race, and class. James Hudnut- Beumler’s class helped me to examine the historical and cultural constructions of Jesus, iv! ! which deepened my interest in feminist Christologies. Finally, Ellen Armour gave me a much needed conversation partner in feminist theologies and theories and provided crucial feedback and insight into various aspects of this work. She patiently read, listened, and talked with me about my ideas and her own. Over the years, I have received generous financial support from various sources at Vanderbilt. I am obliged to the College of Arts and Science, the Graduate Department of Religion, the Robert Penn Warren Center, and the Center for Ethics. Their investment in graduate student research is what ultimately allowed me to pursue my degree. Beyond the walls of Vanderbilt University, I am indebted to my undergraduate professors, Paul Lakeland, John Thiel, Nancy Dallavalle, and Ellen Umansky. Not only did they inspire in me a love of learning and a passion for faith seeking understanding, but they were also among the first persons to encourage me to apply for graduate studies. Their belief in my ability to embark on this journey is something that I try to pay forward with my undergraduate students to this day. I am equally thankful for the opportunity to have learned from and worked with Roger Haight, S.J.. Roger’s scholarship is matched only by his kindness and generosity, and he played a formative role in my development as both a scholar and a teacher. Additionally, I have been blessed with wonderful friends and colleagues at the various institutions in which I have been teaching over the course of the last three years. A specific thank-you to Kari-Shane Davis Zimmerman, John Merkle, Ephrem Hollerman, OSB, and Marie Pagliarini for their support and encouragement. I would also especially like to thank my friend, Carol Johannes, for the levity and laughter she provided me day after day. v!! To my dearest friends, Lyndi Hewitt, Ria Van Ryn, and Caryn Locke, this dissertation would not have been possible without your unwavering love and support. Ria and I met on our first day at Vanderbilt University. Little did we know that this initial encounter would develop into a friendship that would help sustain us through the ups and downs of our graduate programs and beyond. Likewise, Lyndi has been a source of inspiration and support for me from the day I wrote the first word of my proposal until the day I wrote the final word of my conclusion. During this time we have shared in each other’s joys and heartaches, and she serves as a daily reminder to me that love is the ultimate form of gratitude. My friendship with Caryn has also brought me much love and light. She believed in me even when I began to lose hope, and she showed me that what lies within me is greater than any obstacle that presents itself along the way. I count these remarkable women among my greatest blessings. Finally, I am thankful for the unconditional love and support of my immediate family. To my parents, Tom and Jane, and my brother, Michael, my mere expression of thanks in these acknowledgements does not suffice for all that you have done for me throughout my life. vi! ! TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 History of Scholarship ............................................................................................ 3 Thesis ........................................................................................................................ 10 Method ...................................................................................................................... 11 Procedure ................................................................................................................. 14 II. GEORGE A. LINDBECK: IDENTITY AND DIFFERENCE IN THE NATURE OF DOCTRINE ........................................................................................... 21 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 21 Lindbeck’s Cultural-Linguistic Theological Vision ....................................... 24 The Purpose and Urgency of Linbeck’s The Nature of Doctrine!.........!25 Lindbeck’s Cultural Linguistic Alternative!.................................................!27 Lindbeck’s Rule-Theory of Doctrine .......................................................... 37 The Significance of the Cultural-Linguistic Approach for Theological Thought ...................................................................................... 39 The Promise and Problems of Lindbeck’s Cultural-Linguistic Alternative ............................................................................................................... 42 Lindbeck’s Contributions to Theological Conversations of Identity ... 44 Lindbeck’s Misconceptions of Identity ...................................................... 46 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 61 III. THE CROSSROADS OF LA FRONTERA: GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, METAPHORICAL BORDERS, AND GLORIA ANZALDUA’S NEW MESTIZA CONSCIOUSNESS ....................................... 63 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 63 The Borderlands: Traditional Monocultural and Monolinguistic Understandings ...................................................................................................... 66 The Geographical Border .............................................................................. 67 The Historical-Political Border .................................................................... 68 Social Conditions on the Border: Race, Ethnicity, Class, and National Self-Image ........................................................................................ 70 vii! ! The Fronteras of Gloria Anzaldúa: A New Mestiza Identity!.......................!82 Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera ........................................................ 83 Anzaldúa’s La Conciencia de la Mestiza ................................................... 90 Crossing Borders: Implications for Theological Thought!..............................!96 IV. U.S. LATINA THEOLOGIES: VOICES FROM THE BORDER .................. 101 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 101 Faith Seeking Understanding: Practices Across Time and Place ....... 101 The Dominant Euro-American Theological Tradition .......................... 105 Faith Seeking Understanding: Toward the Flourishing of All Peoples ............................................................................................................. 107 U.S. Latina Theology .........................................................................................