In Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, Justo L. González, the reader is encouraged and invited to read the Bible with fresh eyes. The way in which one interprets the Bible can largely affect the way in which one lives out their faith and that is why it is crucial to gain insight of other perspectives and not to rely solely on one’s own.
Since González highly encourages his readers to read the Bible in fresh ways, the reader is open to gaining insight from the perspective of “those who claim their Hispanic identity as part of their hermeneutical baggage, and who also read the Scripture within the context of a commitment to the Latino struggle to become all that God wants us and all of the world to be—in other words, the struggle for salvation/liberation” (González 1996, 28-29). Gonzales is a Cuban-American Methodist historian and theologian. He was born August 9, 1937 in Havana, Cuba. Not only is González a prolific writer but he is also an influential contributor to the development of Latin American theology.
Right off the bat, in the Introduction section of the book, González provides a contextual (Hispanic) perspective. In addition to that, he eagerly embraces different theological perspectives from around the world. According to González, one cannot avoid different theological perspectives because they affect the church’s catholicity. The book is comprised of eight chapter, leading with an introduction and ending with a conclusion. Interestingly enough, each chapter has its own theme and each theme can be traced throughout the narrative of Luke-Acts.
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The concepts are clearly defined throughout the book, this can be seen through the titles of the chapter and how they relate to specific bible stories. As one could assume by the title, the book under review is about the Bible and how it is viewed from an Hispanic point of view, the book is also effective in doing so. The introduction deals with the ideas of authority and perspective, and how they function properly in the process of Biblical interpretation. A fundamental concept of this chapter is that reading is a dialogue between both the text and the reader.
This then implies that the perspective of the reader has a significance in how the Bible is interpreted and exercises authority. Furthermore, González reinforces his argument for catholic, dialogical reading of scripture by comparing it to multiple individuals observing the exact same landscape from different perspectives. The landscape is the same, but what individuals notice and hone in one differs greatly. The same can be said of the Bible, one’s interpretation of it differs greatly from person to person. The multiple view points enrich the total perspective. González concludes his introduction with an autobiographical sketch, showing how his appreciation for both this hermeneutic and the perspective of his own people developed in tandem.
The first chapter of the book is titled, “Marginality” and it explains how the marginalized are of great value to God, we see this through Peter having to learn that God’s grace extends to people once considered outsiders, like Cornelius. It is impactful and sends out a powerful message that God cares deeply for the marginalized. The second chapter of the book explores poverty. González urges readers not to just ask what the Bible says about the poor, but to ask what can be learned when the Bible is read from the perspective of the poor. The financial standing of an individual determines how one views the sabbath for instance.
An economically stable person would view the sabbath as a day away from work while to the unemployed and underemployed would read more into the other six day—there should be opportunities to work. The third chapter is titled “Mestizaje and Mulatez”, and deals with the experience of many Hispanics who are “mixed-breeds.” The term “mixed-breed” has a negative connotation because it implies that one does not have a distinct culture.
These individuals feel left out even in their own cultures. González proves that Paul was used by God in a border approach to mission. Through this approach, the church realizes its catholicity as missionaries and converts are enriched by experience. Chapter four ties into chapter three in terms of feeling like an outsider. Joseph was an alien in Egypt, yet his gifts ended up saving many from famine. Further proving that aliens are valuable to society. The fifth chapter is concerned with solidarity.
It emphasizes the importance of sharing one’s gifts because we receive hospitality from God. The conclusion of the book simply reiterates the importance of how one’s perspective changes one’s understanding of the Bible. The book was overall a delightful and easy read. Furthermore, González’s invitation to read the Bible with new eyes was very compelling. His arguments are backed with solid reasoning and specific examples, thus making them reliable. González demonstrates why honoring different perspectives is part of what it means to be the catholic church. Although his argument for a dialogical reading of the Bible is convincing, it could be strengthened.
Firstly, He should have ascribed interpretive priority to the text itself. Secondly, in mentioning the role of the Spirit in preserving and transmitting the truth, he might have mentioned the role of the Christian creeds. The intended audience of this book includes individuals in a church bible study group or individuals in a introductory college course. I have come to this conclusion because of the books organization and lack of scholarly notations.
The argument is clearly stated, González wants his reader’s to view the Bible with new eyes. He wants us to analyze biblical text from more than just our own perspective. The author makes the assumption that each person does not already employ reading the Bible from multiple viewpoints. However, some people already do and if not that, they are aware of their biases when reading the Bible. This book is successful in accomplishing its goal of encouraging individuals to read the Bible through new eyes.
