Awardees

HTI 2005 Book Prize

With an impressive wealth of information, Dr. Arlene Sánchez-Walsh admirably succeeds in presenting to the reader a detailed and engaging analysis of the California Latino Pentecostal experience in her prize-winning book Latino Pentecostal Identity: Evangelical Faith, Self, and Society. Focusing on four separate historical case studies, Dr. Sánchez-Walsh provides much-needed insight into this seldom explored territory, especially in view of the growing Latino Protestant population, three quarters of which is Pentecostal.

Dr. Sánchez-Walsh was born and raised in East Los Angeles, and received her Ph.D. in history from Claremont Graduate University in 2001. She will be assuming a position as associate professor at the Haggard School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University in the fall of 2005. Her latest projects include a study of Latino Pentecostals, Transnationalism, and the Influence of the Prosperity Gospel in America, and her next book is a history of Pentecostalism in America. In addition to the monetary award, The Book Prize winner delivers a lecture on the prize-winning entry during HTI's annual Summer Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary, followed by a book-signing event.

We congratulate Dr. Sánchez-Walsh for providing ample proof that Latino scholars have much to contribute, and wish her continued success in her teaching and writing careers.

HTI 2004 Book Prize

Skillfully transforming her dissertation, Dr. Michelle A. González penned this year’s winning entry, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas. With its versatile presentation in a manner that addresses several theological disciplines—history, theology, ethics, arts and religion— the work will surely draw the attention of a wide and discriminating audience. Drawing upon historical sensitivity in relating Sor Juana’s thought to its context, González shows conceptual depth in probing the categories of beauty, the good and the true, with an acute eye to contemporary theology regarding aesthetics, feminist theology and Latin American liberation theology.

Dr. González, of Cuban heritage, is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, having obtained her Ph.D. in Systematic and Philosophical Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in 2001. Her research and teaching interests include Latina/o, Latin American, and Feminist Theologies, as well as inter-disciplinary work in theological aesthetics. In addition to the monetary award, she will deliver a lecture on her prize-winning book during HTI’s annual Summer Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary. The award ceremony, lecture, and a book-signing event will take place on July 17th.

We trust that the welcome addition of this new work will provide inspiration to Dr. González’ colleagues as they seek the realization of their writing aspirations, and we wish her much continued success in her teaching and writing careers.

HTI 2003 Book Prize

Innovation is something the HTI program seeks on a constant basis, and last year’s inauguration of the Book Prize proved to be a fruitful incursion into a territory previously unknown to us. This year’s prize once again gave evidence of the literary and scholarly talents of several worthy Latina/o authors who gave their insight into a myriad of compelling topics, and it is with great pleasure that we announce this year’s winner. Dr. Benjamín Valentín, author of Mapping Public Theology: Beyond Culture, Identity, and Difference, has been awarded this year’s Book Prize. In addition to a monetary award, Dr. Valentín will give a lecture on the topic of the book during HTI’s annual Summer Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary. The award ceremony, lecture, and book-signing event will take place July 19th.

Dr. Valentín, of Puerto Rican heritage, is currently Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. His teaching and research interests are in contemporary theology and culture, constructive theology, the relation of religion and theology to American public life, and liberation theology.

Mapping Public Theology: Beyond Culture, Identity and Difference presents a bold and far-reaching argument for a basic shift in the agenda of the Hispanic/Latino theology in general. The work proposes that it is time for Hispanic/Latino theology to move beyond the essential work of affirming Hispanic cultural identity and popular religion, to move into a broader coalition or alliance of liberation theologies. Valentín presents this argument in such depth and detail that the book could very well become a landmark in the field, perhaps reframing basic issues of theological methodology for the next generation of Hispanic and Latino/a theologians.

HTI 2002 Book Prize

HTI is happy to announce that Dr. Miguel Diaz, author of On Being Human: U.S. Hispanic and Rahnerian Perspectives, has won the Hispanic Theological Initiative's 2002 Book Prize. Dr. Díaz will receive a monetary award from the Hispanic Theological Initiative and will give a lecture on the topic of the book during HTI's annual Summer Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary. The award and the lecture will take place July 14th. A book-signing event will follow on July 15th at Princeton Theological Seminary's Theological Book Agency.

Dr. Díaz is a Cuban-American who teaches theology in both Spanish and English at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. He is co-editor of From the Heart of Our People: Latino/a Explorations in Catholic Systematic Theology.

On Being Human: U.S. Hispanic and Rahnerian Perspectives by Miguel H. Diaz is a very careful and constructive form of dialogue between the US Hispanic theological community, regarding anthropology in general, and the formidable theological program of Karl Rahner. Furthermore, it is a fresh, clear project that advances the dialogue between Hispanic theological developments and a significant "traditional" voice in Catholic theology. Diaz effectively summarizes seven leading Hispanic theologians regarding anthropology and presents Rahner's theological program with considerable nuance. The result is a very fruitful conversation which itself approaches the constructive theological task regarding grace, person and community, and the social-practical dimensions of the human encounter with grace in community. Diaz further positions himself for an interesting dialogue with such womanists as Shawn Copeland, whose theological work is also in conversation with Rahner. The work is beautifully written, expertly documented, and truly learned.

Dissertation Series Award

¡Felicidades! go to Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier who is the winner of the 2002-2003 Hispanic Theological Initiative Dissertation Series Award. Each year the Hispanic Theological Initiative invites Latina/o junior scholars (non-tenured) to submit their dissertations for competition for the best doctoral dissertation dealing with U.S. Hispanics religious experience. As winner of this award, Dr. Conde-Frazier will receive a monetary prize from HTI and the University of Scranton Press will publish her dissertation. We will present her with the award on July 14th during HTI's annual Summer Workshop. Dr. Conde-Frazier will also be guest speaker at the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) and the Hispanic Theological Initiative Lectureship event this Fall, 2002.

Dr. Conde-Frazier's dissertation, A Case Study of Two Hispanic Bible Institutes in Massachusetts, represents a pioneering use of grounded theory in qualitative research that has wide implications across the discipline of Religious /Christian Education. This creative blend of theological and social science approaches in religious education provides important insights for leadership development among Protestants and Roman Catholic Hispanics training for diaconal ministry. The work honors the voices and contributions of Hispanic women and men and demonstrates sensitivity to North American Hispanic culture and ecumenical theology. It includes self-reflective elements that provide critical insights for methodological issues in theological research and the formation of Hispanic scholars and theologians.

Be on the lookout for her book soon!