Agnes M Brazal | De La Salle University (original) (raw)

Papers by Agnes M Brazal

Acta Theologica, Apr 26, 2023

This article aims to respond to the question: How have women received the shift of religious acti... more This article aims to respond to the question: How have women received the shift of religious activities online and what are its implications or challenges, if any, for the future of the church? The study reveals no significant difference in the level of engagement in religious activities prior to and during the pandemic among women respondents in the NCR, Philippines. Women have played crucial roles in maintaining the religious well-being of their household, suggesting exercise of agency and leadership. A correlation/regression analysis of the data also projects a significant increase in level of engagement in 10 online religious activities post-pandemic.

Frauen in der Einen Welt: Feministiche Perspektiven, ed. Herausgegeben von Klaus Vellguth, Verlag Herder, 2021

This essay examines the protocols of the episcopal conferences of the Philippines (2003) and Indi... more This essay examines the protocols of the episcopal conferences of the Philippines (2003) and India (2017) that address the issue of clergy sexual misconduct and abuse of women. The paper argues that the participation of gender-sensitive women/ women’s groups is crucial in addressing clergy sexual misconduct and abuse of women – its prevention, prohibition, and redressal. This further entails addressing the unequal power relations in a clericalized patriarchal church, that has become a breeding ground for clergy sexual abuse.

Exchange

This paper analyzes how the Saint John Neumann Migrants Center and its FB page function as cyberc... more This paper analyzes how the Saint John Neumann Migrants Center and its FB page function as cyberchurch or as a virtual extension of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine in Baclaran, Philippines. It examines how the FB page/Center responds to the spiritual, religious, and social needs of its members, as well as, how this transnational religious organizational structure impacts on migrants’ relations with the receiving and sending societies. A case study method was employed through non-participant observation of the FB Page/Center, and interviews with informed respondents, including victim-survivors from the Middle East. As mediator of a transnational religion, the SJNMC FB page simultaneously reflects and goes beyond the extended transnational religion prototype identified by Peggy Levitt and exemplified by the Catholic Church. Since it caters primarily to overseas Filipino workers who are only working abroad for the duration of their contract, it strengthens more migrants’ ties wit...

Questions Liturgiques/Studies in Liturgy, 1996

Exchange: Journal of Contemporary Christianities in Context , 2022

This paper analyzes how Saint John Neumann’s Migrants Center and its FB page functions as cyberch... more This paper analyzes how Saint John Neumann’s Migrants Center and its FB page functions as cyberchurch or as a virtual extension of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine in Baclaran, Philippines. It examines how the FB page/Center responds to the spiritual, religious, and social needs of its members. The case study method was employed, using non-participant observation of the FB Page/Center, and interviews of informed respondents including victim-survivors from the Middle East. The Center takes a holistic approach, responding to the call for rescue of migrants regardless of their religious affiliation, and helping deepen their awareness of their rights and of God who has been in solidarity with them in their struggle for survival. Online services initiated through the FB page are followed up or complemented by in-person services. The FB page/Center’s effectivity relies on the network of social relations it has formed with other agencies and NGOs.

Acta Theologica, 2023

Intersections, 2022

More women are now claiming their space in the public sphere and are recognised for their signifi... more More women are now claiming their space in the public sphere and are recognised for their significant contributions in society. With the greater recognition of women's rights and agency, have dating/courting scripts also changed? Employing script theory, this paper aims to investigate Filipin@[1] college students' perspectives on women doing the first move in expressing their love interest in men, validate the socio-cultural-religious beliefs/conditions that shape their views, and identify new trajectories, if any. It makes use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, focusing on college students (N=119) in a Catholic university in Pampanga, Philippines. On the one hand, the response of the students shows the persistence of the belief that men should take the first move in courtship. The symbol of Maria Clara who, in the Philippines, encapsulates colonial Christianity's model of a virtuous woman continues to shape women and men's imaginations. On the other hand, the respondents acknowledge that as equals, either men or women should have the right to initiate courting. The students view women who initiate courting as courageous. From a postcolonial optic that highlights the agency of those in the margins, we have linked this courage to the interrelated virtues of fortitude, self-care, and mutuality. Lastly, the respondents neither agree nor disagree that digital technologies today facilitate women making the first move in expressing their love interest in a man. This study is significant because there is a dearth of research on courting patterns from the Philippine context.

Theological Studies

During his pontificate, Pope Francis has both broadened and enhanced the concept of synodality an... more During his pontificate, Pope Francis has both broadened and enhanced the concept of synodality and the synodal process to involve “especially those on the periphery who are often excluded and forgotten” ( Vademecum) and even those who have left the church. This thrust toward maximum participation and inclusion will necessarily give rise to divergences and conflicts regarding theological issues. This article explores how the use of new media, following the vTaiwan model, can be a means to go beyond an impasse and discern the consensus fidelium. vTaiwan is an online-offline discussion platform established by the government and activists in Taiwan to promote participatory governance.

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Political Theology

Theological Studies, 2021

Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, 2007

Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2018

Contemporary migrant movements are marked by extraordinary reach and relentlessness, with varying... more Contemporary migrant movements are marked by extraordinary reach and relentlessness, with varying repercussions for human societies virtually everywhere. The religious implications are pervasive and profound. Peoples of all faiths are on the move, perhaps Christians more than most, since studies show that Christian adherents constitute close to fifty percent of all international migrants. Global migration is contributing to unprecedented levels of sustained interaction between diverse cultures and peoples once separated by great physical distance and thus has the potential to extend the scope of religious ideas, reshape the religious landscape of many societies, and foment pluralism. Statistical data lags behind reality. Indeed, numerical representation does little to convey the immense suffering, despair, and tragedy often integral to the migrant experience; nor does it adequately uncover the deep structures of inequality and injustice that fuel the colossal tide of migrants. In Church in an Age of Global Migration readers are presented with a compendium of thought-provoking reflections on migration from a diversity of perspectives and a variety of ecclesial traditions. The book is predicated on the recognition that migration is a major source of change in our world and that it also poses complex questions that require serious theological reflection and soul-searching among Christians. Each contributor draws on concrete realities and lived experiences to probe and often reconceptualize what it means to be church in (and affected by) an age of migration. The assessments range from the strongly critical to the prophetic and pastoral. In many contexts (conspicuously so in Western cities that are major destinations of international migrants), the impact and effects of migration on both church and society can threaten ecclesial identity, expose ethnocentric patterns of ministry, and discredit outmoded models of mission. But the critical issues are not the same everywhere, and the global dimensions of migration invite a multiplicity of insights and assessments. In this regard, the book’s dialogical and ecumenical approach is most effective and a testament to the importance of catholicity in addressing a worldwide phenomenon. Major themes addressed include the significance of recent demographic shifts in global Christianity; the links between missiology and ecclesiology; the role of diasporas; mobility and liturgy; interreligious encounter and accommodation; the cyber church; the plight and potential of domestic workers; disjuncture and dissonance between immigrant and homegrown churches in the West; and student migration. Theological appraisal could have been sharper; but the treatment is timely and valuable, offering critical insights to lay workers and professionals (in church and academy) alike.

Fundamentalism and Pluralism in the Church, 2004

This paper hopes to contribute to the discussion on pluralism and fundamentalism by exploring the... more This paper hopes to contribute to the discussion on pluralism and fundamentalism by exploring the potential of the Filipino value of pakikipagkapwa as a means to help overcome fundamentalism. The first part expounds on the phenomenon of fundamentalism as a reaction to two features of modernity: 1) the sense of loss of sacred traditions; and 2) the perspectival approach to reality which, especially in the period of late or globalizing modernity, has led to pluralism and relativism. The second part provides a general introduction to what it means to renew traditions in a post-traditional society. The third part focuses on a rereading of the traditional value of pakikipagkapwa in relation to indigenous religiosity and how this fosters an attitude of respect for plurality and diffference found among humans and other earth beings.

Journal of Public Health, 2021

This correspondence argues that it is not only rituals after the death of a loved one that are im... more This correspondence argues that it is not only rituals after the death of a loved one that are important for grieving and eventual healing but also rituals at the point of death, such as the Last Rites in the Catholic Church. Because of the raging pandemic, however, the Last Rites have been done virtually for a number of Covid 19 patients. Cybertechnologies have provided an alternative space for the Last Rites to enable the dying, the family, and friends, to experience the gracious presence of God, the support of the Christian community, and to find meaning in their suffering.

Journal of Public Health, 2020

Based on a phenomenological study that includes interview of 17 migrant healthcare workers (HCW),... more Based on a phenomenological study that includes interview of 17 migrant healthcare workers (HCW), this correspondence foregrounds the spirituality of risk-taking (bahala na) that helps migrant Filipin@ HCW deal with and survive the stresses brought about by the pandemic. This spirituality, when tapped, can further aid them in fighting against institutional racism to promote health equity in the medical community.

Ciudad Mistica is an autochthonous nationalist religious group in Mount Banahaw, Philippines. A h... more Ciudad Mistica is an autochthonous nationalist religious group in Mount Banahaw, Philippines. A hybrid religion that has blended Christian symbols and beliefs with its deeply held belief in the Motherhood of God and women's spiritual leadership, it has both accommodated to and resisted colonial domination. This essay explores the question: What would a contrapuntal reading of the beliefs and praxis of the Catholic Church and Ciudad Mistica yield for a conversation on the issue of female God image nd leadership of women in the church?

International Journal of Practical Theology, 2020

This paper explores how Philippine/East Asian discourses on ethics of face and shame can be relev... more This paper explores how Philippine/East Asian discourses on ethics of face and shame can be relevant in light of cyber-sexual violence against women. It argues that lowland Philippine concept of hiya (shame) in its moral and internal sense, should be retrieved as virtue in the context of cyber-sexual violence against women. This can however be complemented by Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of the face of the Other and its reception especially in the cyber-context. Hiya (shame) as sensitivity to a loss of face of the excluded kapwa (other), leads to actions that not only helps to “gain face” but also reveal the God who enfaces.

The international journal of religion and spirituality in society, 2021

Traditional comparisons of indigenous and Christian tradition usually presuppose the primacy of C... more Traditional comparisons of indigenous and Christian tradition usually presuppose the primacy of Christianity. This essay takes a postcolonial approach by comparing justice-making in the Manobo and Biblical tradition on equal terms using the method of contrapuntal reading. The two traditions possess elements of retributive and restorative justice. The encounter between Manobos and Christians, however, has led to the development of the law of the panavuk (damages) where instead of immediate retaliation damages are paid to restore the honor of the aggrieved and the offender. While both stress the importance of reintegrating the offender to the community, the Manobo practice of community dialogue involving the active participation of the offender, victim, and the community, is a process of restorative justice that acknowledges more the role of the community in the wrongdoing and in making things right. This in turn can challenge the retributive approach to criminal justice in the country, in particular, Filipino Christians’ toleration of extra-judicial killing that puts the blame solely on small-time drug peddlers. Keywords: Justice, Manobo, Biblical Justice, Contrapuntal Reading, Restorative Justice

L'A. suggere qu'il est positif d'utiliser l'inculturation comme modele d'inte... more L'A. suggere qu'il est positif d'utiliser l'inculturation comme modele d'interpretation dans la perspective d'une revision feministe de la praxis liturgique a la condition qu'on elargisse la notion d'inculturation en y incluant l'indigenisation et la contextualisation et qu'on y integre les notions de classe et de sexe. Lorsque la revision liturgique feministe est reconnue comme une forme d'inculturation, il est probable qu'elle soit mieux acceptee au sein de la hierarchie. Le mouvement liturgique feministe doit etre compris comme un mouvement de liberation de la communaute des hommes et des femmes dans l'Eglise

Acta Theologica, Apr 26, 2023

Frauen in der Einen Welt: Feministiche Perspektiven, ed. Herausgegeben von Klaus Vellguth, Verlag Herder, 2021

Exchange

Questions Liturgiques/Studies in Liturgy, 1996

Exchange: Journal of Contemporary Christianities in Context , 2022

Acta Theologica, 2023

Intersections, 2022

Theological Studies

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Political Theology

Theological Studies, 2021

Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, 2007

Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2018

Fundamentalism and Pluralism in the Church, 2004

Journal of Public Health, 2021

Journal of Public Health, 2020

International Journal of Practical Theology, 2020

The international journal of religion and spirituality in society, 2021

Body and Sexuality is a pathfinding volume, which breaks the silence around the long-held taboo o... more Body and Sexuality is a pathfinding volume, which breaks the silence around the long-held taboo of women's sexuality in Asian Christian communities. Based on the papers from the second conference of the Ecclesia of Women in Asia held in Yogyakarta in November 2004, the anthology provides biblical and theological grounding for Asian Christian women to affirm their body and dignity. It makes significant contributions to Asian feminist theology and is an invaluable resource for churches, clergy, seminarians, and pastoral workers who are committed to women's emancipation and liberation.

Wilderness is commonly understood as referring to areas significantly untouched by human modifica... more Wilderness is commonly understood as referring to areas significantly untouched by human modifications, even if indigenous peoples may have lived in these areas. In economically developed countries, wilderness also refers to "land where development is prohibited by law," 2 for a variety of reasons-aesthetic, biological, recreational, cultural, and scientific. The US Wilderness Act of 1964 further qualifies, that humans could have been in these places but only as a transient visitor. In the 21 st century, a shift in wilderness theory occurred with the realization that wilderness cannot be defined by physical boundaries, since all landscapes are connected: climate change, for example, affects the National Parks and other "protected" wilderness areas.