THEO 234 - God and Gangs: Redeeming the Streets and the Sacred

3 hours

For many Latin@s, gang-life is a forced reality that often functions as alternative communities of not only family life but also divine life. For Latino and Latina gangs, brotherhood and sisterhood function as a unified body-much like the body of Christ. The understanding of community and relationality is not unlike that of the church body. The language, rules, rituals, symbols, and structures of gang life parallel that of church doctrines and liturgy. When Latinos and Latinas join gangs, they are “blessed in,” learning the necessity of communal life, faithfulness, and service to one another. In their “new communal life” Latin@s invoke the protection of God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints-the sacred is alive in gang life. This course will explore the complexities of Latin@ gang life to determine what, if anything, is disclosed about the mystery of God and how this understanding may lead towards the redemption of the streets, and the sacred.

This course will satisfy the core area requirement in theology.

DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR

THEO 234 - God and Gangs: Redeeming the Streets and the Sacred