2022 ACHTUS Colloquium
University of San Diego
June 5-8, 2022
Call for papers, posters, and conveners below.

“La espera” by Patricia González S.
Our Colloquium’s Theme
Our 2022 colloquium aims to bridge past and future by revisiting the influence that borders have had as a locus theologicus for Latinx scholarship across our disciplines and by exploring the insights that crossing borders offer to discern the fundamental questions shaping the future of U.S. Latinx and global Catholicism.
The premise of our gathering is that borders, real and imagined, physical and conceptual, can yield significant insights because they lay bare not just our community’s wounds but humanity’s wounds, as well. Borders are a meaningful location of our community’s ongoing oppression and liberation, of our experiences with rejection and acceptance. There, we have experienced the presence and the absence of God, reflected upon it, and ventured to act accordingly. And yet, as Fratelli Tutti recognizes, borders have a similar function for other marginalized communities throughout the world. Therefore, what unique insights have we to share with global Catholicism on the experience, meaning, dangers, and promise of traversing such spaces? How may our hard-won wisdom effect real change with other communities beyond the United States? What may we learn from how other marginalized communities within and beyond the U.S. experience border crossing? What questions remain unanswered or unasked?
Colloquium Location and Dates
The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States is delighted to announce that we will hold our next annual gathering—our first in-person colloquium since the COVID-19 pandemic began—at the University of San Diego (USD) in San Diego, California. USD is the only major U.S. Catholic university at the U.S.-Mexico border. In light of our colloquium’s theme, it is a fitting location for our gathering.
The sixty-person colloquium will begin on campus with Mass at Founders Chapel at 6:00 pm and a welcome reception afterwards on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Our main gathering space will be the University’s Ministry Center building, a welcoming space with beautiful tapestries celebrating the witness of thirty-two people who have shaped USD’s faith communities. Lodging will be within short walking distance at Maher Hall. Our gathering will end with a prayerful sendoff at 11:00 am on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
Major Funding Provided by The Portman Endowment in Catholic Theology
Major funding is provided by the Portman Endowment in Catholic Theology, a program of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at USD’s College of Arts and Sciences. The Endowment supports scholarship by theologians who think from within the Roman Catholic tradition while exploring and expressing the tradition in contemporary contexts. To that end, the Endowment enables the Department to host major conferences and public lectures in Catholic theology in honor of Msgr. John R. Portman, who served as its founding chair. To advance the Endowment’s aims in the contemporary context, the Department is focusing its resources on planning and funding conferences that further research in Latinx Catholic theology. The Academy of Catholic Theologians of the United States is grateful to the Portman Endowment and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at USD’s College of Arts and Sciences for their generous support.
Maher Hall Room TourRegistration and Lodging
Registration
Registration is now closed. We look forward to welcoming registered participants!
Meals
As a COVID precaution, all meals and banquets will be held outdoors, weather permitting.
Lodging
All participants are welcomed to lodge at Maher Hall at the University of San Diego. Due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, only single rooms are available. Their rate is $65.00/night during the colloquium. Each room has a private bathroom.
Participants who prefer to lodge at the Courtyard San Diego Old Town may reserve their rooms on the following link (Click Here). Ten rooms are blocked at $139/night plus tax. Reservations by April 1, 2022 are highly encouraged and may be made no later than May 2, 2022.
Parking
For parking information and rates please visit USD’s Office of Parking Service.
Questions
For questions email Victor Carmona at achtus.colloquium2022@gmail.com.
Updated Schedule (2/1/22)
2022 COLLOQUIUM SCHEDULE
Convened by
Ahida (Calderón) Pilarsky, Professor of Old Testament, Chair of the Theology Department
Saint Anselm College
“Borders, Conversion, and Identity: San Pablo at the Imperial College of Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco”
Horacio Vela, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
University of the Incarnate Word
“The Prospects of a Fugitive Theology: Transgressing and Fragmenting Borders as Act of Resistance”
César “CJ” Baldelomar, Ph.D. Candidate
Boston College
Convened by
Peter Mena, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies
University of San Diego
“On the Construction, Operations, and Analysis of Borders in Science and across South Asian Religious Traditions”
Mauricio Najarro, Ph.D. Candidate
UC Berkeley-UCSF
“Meditating with Kali, Tlaloc, and Guadalupe: Making Sense of the Sacred in Chicanx Studies”
Gabriela Perez, Ph.D. Student
University of California, Los Angeles
Convened by
Ana María Pineda, Associate Professor
Santa Clara University
“Latinx/Chicanx Catholic Feminisms: Fronteras de Esperanza”
Theresa Yugar
California State University Los Angeles
“Digital Technology in Service of Religious Education: Considering the Border between the Kingdom of God and the Device Paradigm”
Israel Díaz, Lecturer in Theology
Barry University
Convened by
Claudia Avila Cosnahan, Mission & Partnership Director
Commonweal Magazine
“Borderland Theology as a Path towards Integral Ecology”
Milton Javier Bravo, Vice President for Mission, Values, & Inclusion
Edgewood College
“Hispanic Parishes as Local Borderland Communities: A Practical Ecclesiological Reading”
Hosffman Ospino, Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Education
Boston College
Convened by
Rebecca Berru Davis, Assistant Professor of Theology
St. Catherine University
“Beauty Crosses Borders in the Retablos of Nicario Jiménez Quispe: A Theopoetics of Hospitality”
Francisco Castillo, Barry University
Alejandro López, Independent Scholar
“Cuéntame tu historia. Una vida en imagen”
Luz Elena Arozqueta Villeda, Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras
Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México
“Suffering and Salvation–Ten Years On” Nancy Pineda-Madrid, T. Marie Chilton Chair of Catholic Theology Loyola Marymount University
Co-convened by
Cristina Castillo, Ph.D. Student
Barry University
and
Sonia Martínez Gallegos, Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras
Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México
“Boricua y Cuir de Pura Cepa: An Exploration of Decolonialization at the Intersection of Puerto Rican and Queer Identities”
Ish Ruiz, Ph.D. Candidate
Graduate Theological Union
“Vocación de hospitalidad”
Miguel Ángel Sánchez Carlos, Coordinador del Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras
Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México
Convened by
Neomi De Anda, Associate Professor
University of Dayton
“Virgilio Elizondo’s Implicit Evolutionary Cosmology”
Chris Tirres, Vincent de Paul Professor of Religious Studies and Inaugural Endowed Professor of Diplomacy and Interreligious Engagement
DePaul University
“A Desert Theology: Crossing Borders of Thought and Experience”
Alejandro Nava, Professor
University of Arizona
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Breakfast on Campus7:30 am - 8:30 am
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Morning Prayer8:40 am - 9:00 am
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En Conjunto Session 1, Papers 1 and 2Convened by <br> Ahida (Calderón) Pilarsky, Professor of Old Testament, Chair of the Theology Department Saint Anselm College <br> <br> “Borders, Conversion, and Identity: San Pablo at the Imperial College of Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco” Horacio Vela, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies University of the Incarnate Word<br> <br> “The Prospects of a Fugitive Theology: Transgressing and Fragmenting Borders as Act of Resistance” César “CJ” Baldelomar, Ph.D. Candidate Boston College9:00 am - 10:30 am
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En Conjunto Session 2, papers 3 and 4Convened by Peter Mena, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies University of San Diego<br> <br> “On the Construction, Operations, and Analysis of Borders in Science and across South Asian Religious Traditions” Mauricio Najarro, Ph.D. Candidate UC Berkeley-UCSF<br> <br> “Meditating with Kali, Tlaloc, and Guadalupe: Making Sense of the Sacred in Chicanx Studies” Gabriela Perez, Ph.D. Student University of California, Los Angeles11:00 am - 12:30 pm
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Lunch on campus12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
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En Conjunto Session 3, papers 5 and 6Convened by Ana María Pineda, Associate Professor Santa Clara University<br> <br> “Latinx/Chicanx Catholic Feminisms: Fronteras de Esperanza” Theresa Yugar California State University Los Angeles<br> <br> “Digital Technology in Service of Religious Education: Considering the Border between the Kingdom of God and the Device Paradigm” Israel Díaz, Lecturer in Theology Barry University2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
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En Conjunto Session 4Convened by Claudia Avila Cosnahan, Mission & Partnership Director Commonweal Magazine<br> <br> “Borderland Theology as a Path towards Integral Ecology” Milton Javier Bravo, Vice President for Mission, Values, & Inclusion Edgewood College<br> <br> “Hispanic Parishes as Local Borderland Communities: A Practical Ecclesiological Reading” Hosffman Ospino, Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Education Boston College4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
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Dinner and evening (on your own)5:45 pm - 8:00 pm
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Breakfast7:30 am - 8:30 am
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Morning Prayer8:40 am - 9:00 am
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En Conjunto Session 5Convened by Rebecca Berru Davis, Assistant Professor of Theology St. Catherine University<br> <br> “Beauty Crosses Borders in the Retablos of Nicario Jiménez Quispe: A Theopoetics of Hospitality” Francisco Castillo, Barry University Alejandro López, Independent Scholar<br> <br> “Cuéntame tu historia. Una vida en imagen” Luz Elena Arozqueta Villeda, Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México9:00 am - 10:30 am
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Aniversario Conversation“Suffering and Salvation–Ten Years On” Nancy Pineda-Madrid, T. Marie Chilton Chair of Catholic Theology Loyola Marymount University11:00 am - 12:00 pm
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Poster SessionCo-convened by Cristina Castillo, Ph.D. Student Barry University and Sonia Martínez Gallegos, Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México<br> <br> “Boricua y Cuir de Pura Cepa: An Exploration of Decolonialization at the Intersection of Puerto Rican and Queer Identities” Ish Ruiz, Ph.D. Candidate Graduate Theological Union<br> <br> “Vocación de hospitalidad” Miguel Ángel Sánchez Carlos, Coordinador del Proyecto Ética y Teología desde las Fronteras Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
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Business Meeting (with Lunch)12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
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En Conjunto Session 6Convened by Neomi De Anda, Associate Professor University of Dayton<br> <br> “Virgilio Elizondo’s Implicit Evolutionary Cosmology” Chris Tirres, Vincent de Paul Professor of Religious Studies and Inaugural Endowed Professor of Diplomacy and Interreligious Engagement DePaul University<br> <br> “A Desert Theology: Crossing Borders of Thought and Experience” Alejandro Nava, Professor University of Arizona3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
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Reception6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
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Banquet7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Countdown until ACHTUS 2022
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