Faith, Hope, and Resistance in Times of Crisis

Bio: Raúl E. Zegarra is the author of four books, multiple book chapters, academic articles, and translations. Raúl received his PhD from The University of Chicago, and holds master's degrees in philosophy and theology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and the University of Notre Dame, respectively. His research focuses on the relationship between faith and politics, with particular emphasis on how this relationship shapes the identity and commitments of marginalized groups. Raúl is Assistant Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and is part of the editorial and advisory team at the Hispanic Theological Initiative (Princeton, NJ). Among his recent awards, Raúl has received the New Scholar Essay Prize for Catholic Studies in the Americas (Fordham University, 2023) and the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise (University of Heidelberg, 2021).

 

Description: In the United States and around the globe, many scholars and activists committed to the cause of social justice are becoming increasingly frustrated with the language of democracy and human rights, and its alleged defense of the dignity of all people. Similarly, they are becoming increasingly impatient with churches and other forms of organized religion. Their frustrations are the consequence of the many failures—religious, moral, and legal—to embody the ideals behind the defense of the dignity of all people. And yet, faith, hope and resistance seem to always emerge in moments of great crisis. In this lecture, I examine why this happens--with special attention to contemporary religious and spiritual movements--and offer a critique of approaches that suggest that hopelessness and pessimism are the best answers to our present crisis.