From Argentina to Scotland to Mexico: Indecent Theology and Erotic Phenomenology at the Mexico-US Border

Abstract

During an immersion course at the Mexico-US border in January 2015, I encountered the stark juxtaposition between ‘liberation theologies’ and ‘library theologies.’ The gulf that separates these two is not just a class barrier, but is also racialized and linguistic. This article argues that in order to bring the indecent theology of Marcella Althaus-Reid to places like the borderlands, a theological bridge must be constructed that takes seriously both of the contexts being connected. Here I argue that the theological turn in phenomenological studies and Jean-Luc Marion’s concept of ‘erotic phenomenon’ are examples of possible bridges between these two worlds.