An associate professor for social ethics at Iliff School of Theology in Colorado, de la Torre has won multiple national teaching awards from the American Academy of Religion.
While he is Christian himself, he has an issue with what he labels “Euro-centric Christianity”.
“Christianity, as we know it [in the US], is impacted and constructed and designed by European philosophy,” he explained.
“When I say Euro-centric Christianity, I’m specifically talking about how that Christianity has manifested itself within the US, which has become a white nationalist Christianity that has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ, the message of the Gospel, or biblical text.
“White nationalism has put on this facade of Christianity since the foundation of the nation.”
De la Torre goes as far as to say he’s unsure if genuine Christianity “has ever existed in the United States”.
“Any faith tradition that genocides the indigenous people, that enslaves the African people, that invades the country south of its borders to steal its natural resources and cheap labour, cannot really be Christian.
“This is colonialism, I’m not quite sure it’s Christianity – it’s merged together. So when we’re saying that Christianity is waning, I say amen, hallelujah, and praise be to the Lord, because that type of Christianity needs to die.”
While de la Torre is now vocal in his opposition of the religious right, it was only a few decades ago that he was himself a minister within the Southern Baptist Church, “the most conservative right-wing religion in the US”.
He also ran for Florida’s House of Representatives as the most conservative Republican candidate, changing his name from Miguel to Mike to appeal to more voters.
“My mind was so colonised at that time that I wanted to assimilate into whiteness so that I could have the privileges that whiteness has to offer,” he told Real Life.
“The colonisation of my mind meant that I saw myself through the eyes of my oppressor.”
It was only when he “stumbled into a library” while studying to become a minister that de la Torre discovered the writings of Latin-American theologians with a focus on liberating the oppressed that he had another “conversion” experience.
“If the source of my thinking is from these marginalised communities, then the message that goes out to the world is highly revolutionary. It’s dangerous because it threatens the very power and privilege of those who have become accustomed to their power and privilege,” he told Cowan.
“In my context, in the United States, the undocumented – African Americans, the queer community – these are the people that are the most oppressed.
“I always say, if you want to know what God looks like, God is a black, undocumented, transgender woman. Whoever is the most oppressed by society, that is divinity among us.”
Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in Sundays from 7.30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here.
