Volume 24, Number 2 (2022)

Our world continues facing a dangerous present and near future, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Given the Russian president's refusal or inability to admit failure, the alternatives facing our world are very worrisome. The numbers of refugees and asylum seekers are also increasing very significantly across much of the world, creating immense humanitarian crises. As worrisome, or possibly more so, are the consequences of global warming for all living creatures on Earth. We do live in uncertain and potentially catastrophic times—all because of human decisions.

There are also, however, increasing signs for reasonable hope. One of these signs is the growing number of first-rate Latinoax scholars across many disciplines. All solid and good political, scientific, humanitarian responses were and are born from thoughtful humans, and these thoughts reflect the ethical commitments of the thinkers. Scholars, regardless of their disciplines, contribute to the present and future of our world. Theologians and specialists in religious studies do too because, as facts remind us daily, religions and religious thought are in the trenches of most struggles in our real world-- and consequently, to think through religions, their influencing dynamics and their claims is a necessary contribution to understanding and shaping the present and future of humankind.

The first six of the articles in the Fall 2022 issue of the Journal of Hispanic/Latinoax Theology were presented at the 2022 Colloquium of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S. (held at the University of San Diego, thanks to a generous grant from the Portman Endowment of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies) and two further essays were submitted by other respected scholars.

The JHLT hopes to continue serving as a “must read” publication for understanding, exploring, and developing Latinoax theologies and religious studies.

Orlando Espín

University of San Diego

Chief Editor