Aponte (Latino/a and Latin American Christianity, New York Theological Seminary) explores the varieties of Latino/a spirituality in the US that are part of religion, formal and informal rituals, practices of self-defined piety, and devotions that are meaningful. He focuses on common themes that appear in everyday settings throughout the broader US Hispanic experience, rather than a small set of denominations or traditions, organizing the discussion around themes. He describes some of the settings of spirituality; the historical roots and contemporary phenomenon of Latino/as to place spirituality in context of life in the US; the creation of "Hispanic" as a group; and issues of ethnic identity as they relate to formal religions, religiosity, and spirituality. He discusses the connections between the holy, people, and community; the ways the search for the holy is manifested in day-to-day experiences and life passages, including holidays, festivals, and special community days in the countries of origin and the US; daily practices and rhetoric, including prayers, stories, teachings, sayings, proverbs, and greetings; places and locations as sacred spaces; and whether it is appropriate to speak of a pan-ethnic Hispanic/Latino identity and whether it shares a sense of the holy. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
