People's Mysticism And Political Engagement: The Prophetic Character Of The Nazareno Image

• Main Author: Espiritu, Wilson Angelo G
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2017
• Subjects: Catholic Studies; Religion
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/theology-faculty-pubs/35; https://archium.ateneo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=theology-faculty-pubs
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Millions of Filipino Catholics consider themselves as devotees of the Nazareno. It is a unique cultural facet of Filipino Catholicism being one of the deeply ingrained folk devotions in the country. It is, therefore, one of the most important loci for doing theology in the Filipino context being a concrete expression of the faith of many Filipino Catholics. This paper attempts to contribute one approach in strengthening the theological significance of the devotion to the Nazareno in order to see how the Gospel of Christ could further permeate the lives of the people. Here, the author contends that the devotion to the Nazareno has the potential of leading them into transformative praxes. Most of the adherents of the Nazareno belong to the civil society group. Since civil society is a crucial element in the development of any nation, it is imperative that the devotees be actively involved in nation building. Thus, in harnessing the Nazareno devotion's theological significance, it is indispensable to involve the public dimension of this faith expression.