Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity [Paperback]

Orlando Crespo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2003

Life as a Latino in America is complicated. Living between the two worlds of being Latino and American can generate great uncertainty. And the strange mixture of ethnic pride and racial prejudice creates another sort of confusion.

• Who are you as a Latino?
• Who are you as an American?
• What has Christ to say about your dilemma?
• How can you accept who you are in Christ with joy and confidence?

Orlando Crespo has taken his own journey from Puerto Rico to an immigrant neighborhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, and back again to his Latino roots. In this books he helps you to reflect on your own voyage of self-understanding and on what it means to have a mixed heritage from the days of the original Spanish Conquest to the present. His straightforward approach also takes him to what the Bible says about ethnic identity--about a people who were often oppressed by more powerful cultures. He helps you to see how Jesus' own humanity unfolded in the context of a people who were considered to be inferior. Thus Crespo finds both realism and hope in the good news of Jesus. There is more, however, than merely coming to terms with who you are. Crespo also shows how Latinos are called to step out positively in ministry to the world. You can make a positive impact in on the world in racial reconciliation, in bicultural ministry and more because of who God has uniquely made you to be. Here is a book for all Latinos who want to live confidently in Christ.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In his new book Being Latino in Christ, Orlando Crespo writes with clarity and sensitivity as he addresses the daunting task of defining what it means to be a second-generation Latino in the U.S. and, more important, a Latino who has chosen the road less traveled of following Christ by embracing and even celebrating the heritage and culture he has been blessed with by our Creator. The book serves as guide for those of us who desire to integrate all of who we are with our faith in Christ." (Rudy Hernandez, Board of Trustees, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA )

"This is an exceptional work because it provides emotional and spiritual holism to second-generation Latinos who struggle with identity. There are also many helps for other second-generation ethnic groups." (Dr. Manuel Ortiz, Professor of Mission and Urban Ministry Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary )

About the Author

Crespo is national director of InterVarsity Latino Fellowship (LAFE). He has worked with InterVarsity since 1987, first as a campus staff member at Hunter College and City College in New York City, New York, and then as an area director for a group of colleges in New York City. He was one of the founders of New Life in the Bronx Church, and he still serves there as an associate pastor. He is currently working on a graduate degree in theology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 167 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (November 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830823743
• ISBN-13: 978-0830823741
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for Latinos, January 6, 2005

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a professional student (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity (Paperback)

"If Christianity is for everyone, then what difference does ethnicity make?" The author shows that ethnicity is not something we need to overcome, but something that needs to be embraced.

Rather than arguing a cultural perspective, Crespo speaks gently as a Latino American who stuggled to find his own personal identity and identity in Christ.

If you're looking for a thoughtful dialogue on faith and culture from a personal perspective, this is a good place to start.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the Latino community needs, March 3, 2004

By 

Michelle (Kissimmee, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity (Paperback)

I absolutely recommend this book to any and every Latino in the US. Orlando Crespo goes into what our history is as Latinos, the oppression that our ancestors have gone through, the struggles we go through with identity being part of two cultures and other issues we face. Using the Scriptures, he takes us through God's plan for us as an ethnic culture and how He uses our ethnic identity to reflect a part of who He is. I also recommend this book to those who are curious about the Hispanic Christian community and those wanting to minister in that area.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being Latino in Christ, September 28, 2008

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VRA "Uptown Girl" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity (Paperback)

I'm so glad I found this book! After reading it I wanted to find the author, sit at a Starbucks, and have a three hour conversation with him. So much of what he depicted was a reflection of my own experiences as a Christian Latina. It was brave, insightful, and well written. I have often referred back to it because Mr. Crespo put into words feelings and thoughts that I had but couldn't articulate. I now recommend the book to all my friends who thank me for it. Bravo, Mr. Crespo.Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity