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Reading the Bible Latinamente: Latino/a Interpretation for the Life of the Church
152 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 3, 2026
Thoroughly Evangelical, grounded in Scripture, and full of encouragement for Latino/a believers about where they belong in God's story.
The authors are honest about the struggles of living in the US as people of Latin-American descent. Anyone who wants to be a better neighbor to Latinos can benefit from this book.
I was hoping for more exegetical insights from a Latino perspective, but the book is short and introductory.
The authors are honest about the struggles of living in the US as people of Latin-American descent. Anyone who wants to be a better neighbor to Latinos can benefit from this book.
I was hoping for more exegetical insights from a Latino perspective, but the book is short and introductory.
December 11, 2025
Tl;dr: I read this book so that you might not be tempted (or guilted) to read it (or one like it) later...
It's a shame that I feel compelled to give this book a two-star because there actually is some phenomenal exegesis, but the major presuppositions in this book, in my opinion, rot out the root underneath occasional good fruit.
The basic premise of the book is that "there is no such thing as a neutral, de-culturized, or de-contextualized point of departure as we engage with the biblical story" (11). For Latinos, this means reading as "in-betweeners" who trust in Scripture as God's word, read from within the believing community, and from within "the struggle." The "How" of reading for Latinos is described as straightforward reading, reading in community, and reading along the way of daily life (21).
That's all well and good, actually, but the problem is the overreach. Ignoring the obvious fact that you need not be Latino to read in this fashion (in fact, most of the WEIRD world—80% of all people—share these realities in common), the glaring standpoint epistemology of the book is just difficult to endure:
-"The struggle itself grants us vistas that are usually veiled to people who live comfortable lives" (16).
-"We see things others do not as we engage with Scripture, and we have insights to share with the rest of the church if it has ears to hear" (17).
-"...vistas that we are gratefully granted as pueblo Latino that can—by God's grace—become gifts offered to all who are willing to acknowledge and receive them" (29).
-"We invite others to accompany us in our readings to discover new things in Scripture" (119).
Of course migrants might particularly resonate with the stories of OT sojourning, etc. That being said, not every Latino has lived as a migrant (none of the authors of this book...), and the description of inaccesibility to biblical truth outside of experience is a huge overreach. Rather than arguing that life experience and cultural heritage and values bring a unique perspective to the text, or result in particular foci for theology, this book argues that these things unlock secret knowledge inaccesible to other ethnic groups (a huge fail).
Additionally, the language of "having something to offer" majority culture churches comes across as arrogant. The basic contention is that for majority culture churches to "welcome" Latinos, that requires leadership positions and "listening" to their voices. Aside from the fact that the authors almost assuredly would not require a Venezuelan, Guatemalan, etc. church to do this for visiting White Americans, assimilation is actually a good and biblical thing (and implies the new culture benefiting the existing one).
This plays out in an almost incessant victim and guilt mentality throughout the work:
-"In [Daniel] we learn that we, like him, can be just as good as or better than majority culture kids!" (43).
-"Yet, in spite of inequity and intolerance [without definition or specificity...], Latinas and Latinos are demonstrating amazing strength, resilience, and resourcefulness" (49).
-"trusting in the blessing of God does not mean ignoring or minimizing the difficulties and unfairness of life as Latinos and Latinas" (58).
-"Do they suppose we would be more comfortable in [a Spanish-speaking service]? Or would *they* be more comfortable if we worshiped at a safe distance from "the main service"?" (77).
-"Jesus would not expect us to put aside such cultural distinctives when we worship in majority culture contexts" (81). Really?! He wouldn't expect you to put aside your preferences, and wants the majority group to put aside their preferences...
-"Many North American churches have difficulty seeing us as those with whom they have been united—that they are equal participants in the same spiritual family as those who come here from countries where Spanish is the primary language" (89).
In all seriousness, if you want to read a book on ethnic interpretation, which you can affirm without being "woke" (Celtic spirituality; German and Scandinavian pietism; Greek vs. Latin Patristics), you should read Reading While Black. That book, while still having some flaws as far as overclaiming the "need" for cultural interpretation, actually upholds correspondent truth and objective interpretation while describing how cultural and ethnic experience can shape presuppositions.
It's a shame that I feel compelled to give this book a two-star because there actually is some phenomenal exegesis, but the major presuppositions in this book, in my opinion, rot out the root underneath occasional good fruit.
The basic premise of the book is that "there is no such thing as a neutral, de-culturized, or de-contextualized point of departure as we engage with the biblical story" (11). For Latinos, this means reading as "in-betweeners" who trust in Scripture as God's word, read from within the believing community, and from within "the struggle." The "How" of reading for Latinos is described as straightforward reading, reading in community, and reading along the way of daily life (21).
That's all well and good, actually, but the problem is the overreach. Ignoring the obvious fact that you need not be Latino to read in this fashion (in fact, most of the WEIRD world—80% of all people—share these realities in common), the glaring standpoint epistemology of the book is just difficult to endure:
-"The struggle itself grants us vistas that are usually veiled to people who live comfortable lives" (16).
-"We see things others do not as we engage with Scripture, and we have insights to share with the rest of the church if it has ears to hear" (17).
-"...vistas that we are gratefully granted as pueblo Latino that can—by God's grace—become gifts offered to all who are willing to acknowledge and receive them" (29).
-"We invite others to accompany us in our readings to discover new things in Scripture" (119).
Of course migrants might particularly resonate with the stories of OT sojourning, etc. That being said, not every Latino has lived as a migrant (none of the authors of this book...), and the description of inaccesibility to biblical truth outside of experience is a huge overreach. Rather than arguing that life experience and cultural heritage and values bring a unique perspective to the text, or result in particular foci for theology, this book argues that these things unlock secret knowledge inaccesible to other ethnic groups (a huge fail).
Additionally, the language of "having something to offer" majority culture churches comes across as arrogant. The basic contention is that for majority culture churches to "welcome" Latinos, that requires leadership positions and "listening" to their voices. Aside from the fact that the authors almost assuredly would not require a Venezuelan, Guatemalan, etc. church to do this for visiting White Americans, assimilation is actually a good and biblical thing (and implies the new culture benefiting the existing one).
This plays out in an almost incessant victim and guilt mentality throughout the work:
-"In [Daniel] we learn that we, like him, can be just as good as or better than majority culture kids!" (43).
-"Yet, in spite of inequity and intolerance [without definition or specificity...], Latinas and Latinos are demonstrating amazing strength, resilience, and resourcefulness" (49).
-"trusting in the blessing of God does not mean ignoring or minimizing the difficulties and unfairness of life as Latinos and Latinas" (58).
-"Do they suppose we would be more comfortable in [a Spanish-speaking service]? Or would *they* be more comfortable if we worshiped at a safe distance from "the main service"?" (77).
-"Jesus would not expect us to put aside such cultural distinctives when we worship in majority culture contexts" (81). Really?! He wouldn't expect you to put aside your preferences, and wants the majority group to put aside their preferences...
-"Many North American churches have difficulty seeing us as those with whom they have been united—that they are equal participants in the same spiritual family as those who come here from countries where Spanish is the primary language" (89).
In all seriousness, if you want to read a book on ethnic interpretation, which you can affirm without being "woke" (Celtic spirituality; German and Scandinavian pietism; Greek vs. Latin Patristics), you should read Reading While Black. That book, while still having some flaws as far as overclaiming the "need" for cultural interpretation, actually upholds correspondent truth and objective interpretation while describing how cultural and ethnic experience can shape presuppositions.
August 20, 2025
An excellent, though introductory, look into Latino/a biblical interpretation with particular attention to the stories in both the OT and NT that speak to the experiences of migration, exile, diaspora, and community life in el norte. Though this book is largely written to those communities, I highly recommend this book to all, particularly those within the North American church who are unaware of the hermeneutical insights and contribution of the Latino/a church.
September 29, 2025
Uplifting and encouraging. Written primarily for Latino/a readers and their church leaders, but also helps white North American Christians to understand and learn from their Latino/a brothers and sisters.
December 2, 2024
Reading the Bible Latinamente is an encouraging and inspiring book for latinos and people around them.. I am a Venezuelan married to a Dutch man living in Belgium, and I have never realized how much my culture impacts my faith and how I experience community. Reading the Bible Latinamente will encourage you latino's to take your place in God's plan and propose in the country or culture where you are.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews