The concept of Mestizaje--a reference to the distinctive biological and cultural intermixture that occurred in the "New World"--has become a foundational category in U.S. Latina/o theology. This book traces the subversive and innovative ways in which Catholic theologians, such as Virgilio Elizondo, Orlando Espín, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, and Pilar Aquino, have turned this concept into a powerful framework for articulating the experiences of faith of Latina/o communities. At the same time the author examines some of the limitations and contradictions inherent in this concept and explores new language for describing the vibrant and complex ethno-cultural and religious identity of Latina/o communities today.

Néstor Medina, a Guatemalan-Canadian theologian, received his doctorate from the University of Toronto. He currently teaches at Queen's Theological College, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.