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Universality and Difference in Latino(a) Evangelical Tradition
Description
This term universalism is a myth that teaches that ‘European’ equals ‘universal’.(Ashcroft, 71) This refers to the idea that there is “one universal human condition”(71) that can be seen in any culture at any time. The reason this is
a myth is because that “one universal human condition” is actually only describing the condition of the colonialist, specifically European. Kissing for example is not a universal theme as Larson explains in his piece, because the African novel does not deal with romance and kissing.(77) Larson tells the story of how his African students asked him what a kiss was because a kiss was not a universal act but a cultural one. Bishop in his essay points out that even math is not a universal theme because there are hundreds of other counting systems in the world.(80) Bishop asks the question, why is it that weste
rn math is taught above all others? The answer is that the math that is now used was the math that the colonial power practiced and enforced. The different counting systems were seen as inferior because they were not the counting system that the Europeans used. Universalism has been used to construct colonial power and to justify colonialism because if “one’s immediate perceptions of the world do not concur then they must be suppressed in favour of that which the language itself reveals to be ‘obvious’".(71) Colonialists used universality to justify conquering other groups by thinking that their “reality” was the only real one.(89) Any reality outside of the European existence was seen as “the unreality of human existence in the non-European world.”(89) Colonialists believed they needed to bring “reality”(their version of it) to these other places and were therefore “changing the uselessly unoccupied territories of the world into useful new versions of the European metropolitan society.”(90) The result of this was a “widely varied group of little Europes scattered throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas…” (90). Universality marginalized and excluded the difference of post-colonial societies.
Universals related to the Latino Evangelical Church:
- Parents should play strong and authoritative roles in their children’s lives into full adulthood. Unlike in the United States where a person who turns 18 is seen as someone who can now leave home and live their own lives, some Latino families do allow their children to stay home until they are married. Within some Latino(a) Evangelical churches, kids that do decide to do it the "American way" are sometimes seen as rebellious. Some are seen this way especially in the eyes of the first generation.
- Majority of church leadership is male. Within the Latino(a) Evangelical Church there seems to be a more male dominated leadership. This may stem from the cultural tradition of "machismo" within some Latino cultures. Theologically, these churches may use verses in the Bible such as 1 Tim. 2:11 where Paul says that a woman should not teach over a man, to justify their stance. More recently the Latino(a) Evangelical Church has been seen to have a lot more women in leadership than in the past. It is not uncommon now to see women as pastors of some Latino(a) Evang
elical Churches, where as in the past, this would have been unheard of.
- A strong sense of moral values. Latino(a) Evangelicals believe that to be a good Christian one must have high moral values. They are high on justice and equality. This may be a reason why the Latino(a) Evangelical Church has reached out to immigrants and have supported them.
- Notion of pleasing God through works/acts. Latino(a) Evangelicals have been known to assist many weekday church activities other than the Sunday worship service. This is different than for other Christians who usually attend church just once on Sunday. A reason why Latino(a) Evangelicals may have this works/acts theology may have come from their background in the catholic church. Latino(a) evangelicals who have converted from Catholicism may still have ingrained in them that it takes works/acts to please God because this is what they learned as Catholics.
When the colonialists began to colonize they saw the colonized as the "other", as people who should be devalued and conquered because they were "different" than the Europeans. The colonialists used universalism to justify and rationalize their conquests. What is somewhat peculiar is to note that just like the colonialist societies saw the groups they were conquering as strange, those being conquered also felt that the colonialists were strange. Takaki writes in his book, "The newcomers looked like animals-monstrous, hairy, and pale skinned, their eyes the color of the sea and their hair the color of the sun...Their foreign speech sounded like gabble."(Takaki, 21)
In the interview that I did with Pastor Carlos Quintero, he says that when he came over to the United States he noticed it was "Different, impersonal, not as warm as in Panama, distant, more methodical. You had to make an appointment or call to talk to someone. It was formal." Now after over 20 years here in the United States he has gotten used to this way of life. For Latino Evangelicals, there is that constant battle between assimilating and keeping their cultural roots, while still feeling like they belong.
Dreams
Universalism has tried to eradicate the differences in cultures and traditions. The Latino(a) Evangelical Church has been effected by universalism in the past just like many of the postcolonial societies. In the future though, Latinos dream that America will become a place where difference will be embraced, where individual groups of people are given an opportunity to voice their opinion and be accepted as who they are without excluding them for their differences. The Latino(a) Evangelical Church seeks for equality within the marginalized, where the excluded are no longer seen as the "other" but as part of the same body of Christ. The Latino(a) Evangelical Church is especially concerned for the immigrants of this nation because immigration hits close to home. Many Latino(a) Evangelicals are immigrants that have come from Latin America and can relate to the plight of those who have recently come to the United States. The Latino(a) Evangelical Church has a dream to see these immigrants being treated not as the "other" but as people who are counted as equals and therefore having the ability to bring a significant contribution to the society. “Let every people bring their gifts to the great festival of the worlds’ cultural harvest and mankind will be all the richer for the variety and distinctiveness of the offerings." (Ashcroft,76)
References
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