Shameless Theology S2:02 When Faith Becomes Control: Puerto Rico’s Christian Colonial History w/Yolanda Santiago-Correa Pt. 1

Summary

Puerto Rico’s colonial past isn’t just politics—it’s a Christian story written into bodies, churches, and daily survival. Rev. Alba Onofrio (Reverend Sex), Executive Director of Soulforce, introduces Shameless Theology Season 2 as a series based on the book Spiritual Violence: Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith, naming spiritual violence, religious abuse, and white Christian Supremacy as lived realities. 

In part one of a two-part conversation, guest Yolanda Santiago Correa traces Puerto Rico’s colonization under Spain and then the U.S., describing an “embedded dependency” reinforced through Christian rhetoric, U.S. policy, and economic control. She discusses Protestant denominations dividing the island, structural neglect highlighted by Hurricane Maria, and “Latinidad” as a homogenizing, anti-Black colonial project tied to purity, assimilation, and whiteness. The conversation considers queering inherited tools for understanding race, identity, and belonging, ranging from reggaeton to racial gatekeeping. Part two will explore Yolanda’s experiences of spiritual violence growing up, navigating identity and belonging as a pastor’s kid.

Yolanda M. Santiago Correa is a doctoral candidate in Religion and Culture. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Her research explores the intersection of Puerto Rican racial imagination and Christian practice, centering Black Boricua experiences to challenge colonial frameworks and reimagine religious life in the archipelago and diaspora.

She currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School and as the inaugural Director of the AfroLatine Theology Project.

 Hosted by Reverend Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful, while centering dialogue on Queer, Trans, and feminist theology.

Shameless Theology seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and life abundant for all of Creation. Initially launched in Spanish as Teología Sin Vergüenza, this show addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the extreme Right. Here, we gather people of diverse faith backgrounds and Christian denominations--pastors, activists, and scholars--to discuss gender identity, the erotic, and real life in the context of a radically inclusive faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces.

This season forefronts our new book: Spiritual Violence: Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith. This timely resource identifies and examines the consequences of white Christian Supremacy through historical context and case studies, centering lived experiences of marginalized people, and offers critical analysis and practical tools for healing and resistance. Each week, we’ll share engaging conversations with brilliant guests familiar with the work, as we explore the concepts and lived experiences of Spiritual Violence. The podcast is not a repetition of the book but an expansion of conversation adding new voices: experts in their fields who share their experience with our community. Even if you haven’t read the book yet, these are engaging conversations relevant to the here and how, and we invite you to join us and continue the conversation in your own communities. 

FREE PREVIEW: Spiritual Violence and Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith: https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/     

Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation.

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