Confessing the Faith in Spanglish

Recovering the Centrality of the Vernacular in the Lutheran Witness to the Gospel

Abstract

This essay celebrates the theological contributions of professors José David Rodríguez and Javier “Jay” Alanís to Lutheran theology. From José, among many other things, we are reminded that the Christian faith is not merely a set of intellectual beliefs held in the privacy of one’s individual thoughts but rather it is meant to be confessed as a way to bear witness to the gospel. In order to do this, Rodríguez reminds us of a deep Lutheran conviction that sometimes is forgotten, namely the centrality of the vernacular. When the faith is confessed in the vernacular people can receive it in the language of their heart, but new dimensions of the gospel message are also revealed that in turn enrich the larger church. From Alanís we learn about his journey with migrants crossing the borderlands between Mexico and the U.S. He explains that such third space is an epiphanic space where the Holy One is revealed as one who walks with the people, loving them with the deep affection of a parent. Thus, Jay lifts up the Spanish name “Diosito” to convey that affection and intimacy. In the journey accompanying each other through the desert, like the disciples on their way to Emmaus, not only is the Holy One revealed but also the indelible image that we all bear, namely the image of God. It is that conviction, that we all bear the image of God, that grounds the sense of dignity of the migrant Latino community which is often vilified and marginalized. The contributions of José and Jay to Lutheran theology are important and ought to be celebrated and communicated to the wider church.