The Aesthetics of Solidarity

"Nichole M. Flores expertly weaves in storytelling and theology to examine the usage of Marian symbols, from the Chicano movement to immigration organizers today. The Aesthetics of Solidarity is a must-read for everyone looking to deepen their understanding of Latinx theology and proves why Flores is one of the most important theological voices in the Catholic Church today." — Olga Segura, author of Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church

"At a moment when society is fraying and politics is polarized Flores provides a rich, ethical conception of democratic solidarity and its centrality to a politics of the common good in a pluralistic context. Arguing against key liberal philosophers, Flores's theologically and aesthetically sophisticated political theology of solidarity creatively draws on a set of resources rooted in Latine responses to oppression, including movements for social justice, political campaigns, theatre, popular religious celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and experiences of lo cotidiano. In doing so the book models the best of what teologia en conjunto means both in practice and in scholarship." — Luke Bretherton, Robert E. Cushman Professor of Moral & Political Theology, Duke University

"Cornel West points out that Christianity is ultimately a narrative about good triumphing over evil. John Milbank asserts that Christianity's appeal lies in the inherent beauty of this salvific story. Nichole Flores, grounded in the rich heritage of Guadalupan devotion and Catholic social teaching, makes the bold claim that talk of truth and beauty cannot be separated from ethics and social justice. Her activist Latinx perspective shakes up and transforms the staid public discourse on the role of religious and cultural particularity in democratic processes." — Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, professor of systematic theology, Saint Louis University

"A keen-minded, scholarly analysis enhanced with a bibliography and an index, Our Lady of Guadalupe is highly recommended especially for college and university Religion/Spirituality collections." — Midwest Book Review

"The Aesthetics of Solidarity represents a major contribution to the ongoing development of U.S. Latinx theology. Flores has produced a first-rate scholarly monograph in which she carefully develops, and clearly articulates, the intellectual features of an aesthetics of solidarity — a rich notion that will, no doubt, influence theological conversation in the future, not only among Latinx scholars but in the broader theological community." — Journal of Hispanic/Latino Theology

"Flores's study offers significant insights for understanding the importance of marginalized groups, their struggles for justice, and their religious expressions within the political landscape of a pluralistic society." — Commonweal