The Politics of Latino Faith: Religion, Identity, and Urban Community

by Catherine E. Wilson

Overview

Pundits and commentators are constantly striving to understand the political behavior of Latinos—the largest minority in the United States and a key voting block. As Catherine E. Wilson makes clear in The Politics of Latino Faith, not only are Latinos a religious community, but their religious institutions, in particular faith-based organizations, inform daily life and politics in Latino communities to a considerable degree.
Timely and discerning, The Politics of Latino Faith is a unique scholarly work that addresses this increasingly powerful political force. As Wilson shows, Latino religious institutions, whether congregations or faith-based organizations, have long played a significant role in the often poor and urban communities where Latinos live.
Concentrating on urban areas in the South Bronx, Philadelphia, and Chicago, she provides a systematic look at the spiritual, social, and cultural influence Latino faith-based organizations have provided in American life. Wilson offers keen insight into how pivotal religious identity is in understanding Latino social and political involvement in the United States. She also shows the importance of understanding the theological underpinnings at work in these organizations in order to predict their political influences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814794135
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	06/01/2008
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Catherine E. Wilson is Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department and the Center for Liberal Education at Villanova Universityand Non-Profit Coordinator of the University’s Masters of Public Administration Program.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. 1 The Development of a Religious Identity Politics

2. 2 Latino Faith-Based Organizations and the Urban Context

3. 3 The New Liberationists

4. 4 Latino Pastoral Action Center: A Ministry of Personal Outreach

5. 5 Nueva Esperanza: A Ministry of Institutional Development

6. 6 The Resurrection Project: A Ministry of Community Empowerment

7. 7 Speaking the Language of Religious Identity Politics
   Appendix: Sample Questionnaire
   Notes
   Index
   About the Author

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Insightfully argued and deeply researched, The Politics of Latino Faith offers a compelling look at one of the most important yet undervalued aspects of Hispanic life in the United States. Catherine Wilson combines vivid descriptive writing, a strong narrative voice and clear theoretical analysis to produce a valuable book.-Roberto Suro,author of Strangers Among Us: Latino Lives in a Changing America

There is simply much that we do not know about faith-based organizations, their nature, and how they go about providing social services. . . . This book deals directly with a topic that is virtually virgin territory. A much needed contribution.-Stephen Monsma,author of When Sacred and Secular Mix: Religious Non-Profit Organizations and Religious Money

"A pioneering work examining Latino faith-based organizations. Recommended."-Choice,

“Wilson's text is a noteworthy, vital addition to research on the nexus of U.S. Latino religion and politics.”
-Journal of Church and State

Editorial Reviews

"There is simply much that we do not know about faith-based organizations, their nature, and how they go about providing social services. . . . This book deals directly with a topic that is virtually virgin territory. A much needed contribution."

Stephen Monsma

"Wilson’s text is a noteworthy, vital addition to research on the nexus of U.S. Latino religion and politics."

Journal of Church and State

"Insightfully argued and deeply researched, The Politics of Latino Faith offers a compelling look at one of the most important yet undervalued aspects of Hispanic life in the United States. Catherine Wilson combines vivid descriptive writing, a strong narrative voice and clear theoretical analysis to produce a valuable book."

Roberto Suro

"“A pioneering work examining Latino faith-based organizations. Recommended."

Choice

Insightfully argued and deeply researched, The Politics of Latino Faith offers a compelling look at one of the most important yet undervalued aspects of Hispanic life in the United States. Catherine Wilson combines vivid descriptive writing, a strong narrative voice and clear theoretical analysis to produce a valuable book.-Roberto Suro,author of Strangers Among Us: Latino Lives in a Changing America

From the Publisher