Latina Feminist Theology: The Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

The role of feminism within Latina theological scholarship has, from the outset, been an issue of serious debate and contention. Latina theologians that claim a feminist voice are confronted with two obstacles from the outset: first, the reception of a feminist hermeneutic from their male colleagues; and second, the viability of feminism as a theoretical tool and designator for Latina theological contributions. Whether one claims a feminist voice or not, the impact that feminist theology has had upon Latina theologies is profound. In this essay, I explore these tensions within Latina feminist theological scholarship in light of the future of this particular theological collective. My comments are in conversation with feminist theologies as a whole, personified by the groundbreaking insights of Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza. In his overview of Latino/a theology, Orlando Espin highlights the growing impact of Latina feminist contributions to Latino/a theology. However, Espin notes,