Candler School of Theology and the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (the Association for Hispanic Theological Education [AETH]), will co-sponsor a two-day gathering to mark the 35th anniversary of Justo L. González’s groundbreaking work, “Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective.”
“Mañana from a New Today” will take place in Feb. 4–5, and will convene scholars, pastors, students and community leaders to reflect on the enduring influence of González’s theology and its continued relevance for the church.
Published in 1990 by Abingdon Press and immediately translated into Spanish and German, “Mañana” offered one of the earliest sustained theological articulations from within the U.S. Hispanic experience. Drawing on what González called Fuenteovejuna theology — a solidarity shaped by shared struggle — “Mañana” challenged assumptions of theology done as if from no social location and insisted on the value of perspectives formed in diaspora, marginalization and ecumenical diversity.
Thirty-five years later, the book’s insights remain vital for theologians and Christian communities navigating questions of identity, justice and belonging.
Jessica Lugo, executive director of AETH, describes the book’s significance this way: “Justo offered us more than a book; he offered a horizon of possibilities, a vision that invites Latino/a voices into the center of theological discourse with confidence and conviction.”
Lugo sees the anniversary event as an invitation for participant, to “extend the horizon ‘Mañana’ opened, and to build a future where our communities not only contribute to theology, but transform it for generations yet to come.”
“Mañana from a New Today” is co-sponsored by Candler, AETH and the Justo and Catherine González Resource Center, with support from Candler’s La Mesa Academy for Theological Studies.
Joanne Solis-Walker, associate dean of La Mesa Academy, says Candler’s involvement reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to deeply contextual theological formation.
“Even after 35 years, ‘Mañana’ remains a touchstone for forming leaders who understand theology as both contextual and communal,” she says. “Justo’s work continues to shape how our students and our wider communities approach theology. Gathering to reflect on its legacy is part of our responsibility to the future of theological education.”
Event speakers (in order of program appearance)
Justo L. González is a Cuban-American historical theologian, United Methodist elder, and one of the most influential voices in Hispanic and Latin American theology. Across more than five decades, he has shaped the field through his scholarship, public engagement and leadership in theological education. He has given hundreds of lectures throughout the world and has written over 150 books, and his two-volume set “History of Christianity” and three-volume “History of Christian Thought” have been translated into ten languages. For 30 years, he taught at various theological institutions, including the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He played a central role in founding several key initiatives advancing Hispanic and Latino/a scholarship, including the Association for Hispanic Theological Education, the Hispanic Summer Program and the Hispanic Theological Initiative.
Roberto S. Goizueta is a leading Catholic theologian and the Margaret O’Brien Flatley Professor Emeritus of Catholic Theology at Boston College. His work centers on Latino/a theology, Christology, liberation theology, theological aesthetics and the relationship of religious faith and social responsibility. He was named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic-American educators, pastors and theologians by The National Catholic Reporter, and has significantly shaped contemporary conversations around faith, culture and the lived expressions of Christianity in Latino/a communities. Among his many publications are “Caminemos con Jesus: Toward a Hispanic/Latino Theology of Accompaniment” (Orbis, 2003) and “Christ our Companion: Toward a Theological Aesthetics of Liberation” (Orbis, 2009). He is past president of the Catholic Society of America and the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians in the United States, and serves on the board of directors of Candler’s Aquinas Center of Theology.
Jodi Porter serves as the director of Education for Ministry Innovation at Acadia Divinity College, a role she assumed in July 2023 as part of the institution’s Futuring Lab project. This initiative focuses on researching cultural trends and developing new pedagogical approaches within theological education. Porter has a robust background in creating learning communities and fostering leadership development, having previously held positions at institutions including the Forum for Theological Exploration, Baylor University, Duke University Divinity School, Harvard Medical School and William Jewell College.
Jeffrey Bamaca is the director of discipleship at RLA Church in Los Angeles, where he focuses on mentoring and supporting college students as they transition from high school to higher education. Under his guidance, the church aims to strengthen connections among young adults and their faith. RLA Church has a notable history of planting over 50 churches and actively engaging with community needs, promoting not only spiritual growth but also educational achievement and social reforms.
Michelle E. Navarrete is a Latina musician and Old Testament scholar whose work bridges the church and the academy. Born and raised in the Chicago area to Mexican immigrant parents, she brings a multilingual and multicultural perspective to her scholarship and ministry. She is currently a doctoral student in Hebrew Bible in Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion, with research interests in psalms of lament, theologies of exile and marginality, decolonial/postcolonial translation studies, and U.S. Latine theologies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from North Central College, an MTS from Evangel University, and an MA in Old Testament biblical exegesis from Wheaton College.
Robert Chao Romero is an associate professor in the César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA, where his research examines Asian-Latino histories, immigration to Latin America, and the intersection of Christianity and social justice. He has published more than 30 academic books and articles on issues of race, immigration, history, education and religion, including “Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity” (InterVarsity Press, 2020), which won the InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Award for best academic title, and “The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940” (University of Arizona Press, 2010), which received the Latina/o Studies Book Award from the international Latin American Studies Association. He holds a PhD in Latin American history from UCLA and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley. Romero is also an attorney, ordained minister and faith-rooted community organizer.
Gabriel and Jeanette Salguero are co-pastors of The Gathering, a Latino-led, multi-ethnic Assemblies of God congregation in Orlando, Florida. The Salgueros are also key voices on issues affecting the nearly 9 million Latino evangelicals in the United States through their leadership of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, made up of several thousand evangelical congregations. Gabriel Salguero has written extensively on Latino evangelicalism, immigration, racism and multicultural congregations, and has appeared in media outlets including The New York Times, Huffington Post, the New York Observer, El Diario, CNN Español, NBC Universal, Univisión and Jorge Ramos’s Al Punto. Jeanette Salguero is director of the Carrion Hispanic Leadership Institute at Southeastern University and focuses on immigration, education and health advocacy. She has been honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as one of the top 15 women in the nation for her leadership and work with vulnerable populations.
Event schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 4
With the exception of the open house, Wednesday’s events will be held at Decatur First United Methodist Church.
- 3-5 p.m.: Open house at the Justo and Catherine González Resource Center
- 5-6 p.m.: Registration and networking
- 6-7 p.m.: Dinner reception
- 7-7:30 p.m.: Opening remarks by Jessica Lugo (AETH)
- 7:30-8:45 p.m.: Panel discussion with Roberto Goizueta, Jodi Porter, Michelle Navarrete, and Jeffrey Bamaca
Thursday, Feb. 5
Thursday’s events will be held at Candler School of Theology on the campus of Emory University.
- 9-9:30 a.m.: Registration
- 9:30-11 a.m.: Lecture by Robert Chao Romero, with responses by Antonio Eduardo Alonso, Aquinas Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Candler, and Jessica Lugo
- 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Chapel with Gabriel and Jeannette Salguero
- 12-1 p.m.: Lunch and closing remarks from Justo González
