Sermons from the Latino/a Pulpit

The Latino/a community continues to grow at a faster pace than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. In part because of this growth Latino/as have begun to be recognized as bona fide contributors to American society whether through sports music literary work theology or ministry. Largely missing from this however has been attention to the creative and indeed prophetic expression coming from the Latino/a pulpit--that is the sermons being developed and preached from the Latino/a churches. This books fills that void. Eli Valentin has gathered some of the top US Latino/a theologians and religious practitioners to contribute actual sermons that have been constructed out of the rough and tumble of the Latino/a reality. The sermons in this book approach nitty-gritty issues that directly impact Latinos/as in the United States. What we find as a result is a message of hope that continues to emanate from the Latino/a pulpit a hope placed in a God who promises a restored cosmos. This fantastic book echoes powerful voices from our Latinxs communities. There is something about these sermons that utters so many of the sensibilities of our people always in la lucha: the many hopeful vibrations of life the louder and yet nuanced tonalities of the daily struggles the reverberations of many sustained forms of faith the depth and pain of a variety of places spoken the mixture of joys and almost desperation. Life pulses and screams from these sermons reflecting so many of the challenges and complexities of being Latinxs in United States. This book and its many prophetic voices surely resound like a call for a new Latinxs Pentecost for our times! --Claudio Carvalhaes Associate Professor of Worship Union Theological Seminary New York City Elieser Valentin is pastor of the Iglesia Evangelica Bautista in New York City and has taught at Union Theological Seminary New York Theological Seminary and Hunter College (CUNY). He is also a much-sought-after political consultant and advisor to numerous national elected officials and political candidates.