Christian churches in the United States face a daunting double challenge: 1) religious disaffiliation continues to grow, particularly among youth, as religion seems to fit less into people’s meaning-making structures; and 2) the widening gap between privileged and marginalized that increasingly characterizes American society is true within the churches as well. This double challenge comes in a cultural context where the Christian population in the U.S. is increasingly Latino/a in its makeup. What spirituality can foster meaningful religious practices that cross the borders of privilege? What models are there for faith that draws from the well of Hispanic religiosity but speaks to all Americans?

"Down From His Throne: Oscar Romero’s Mystical-Prophetic Spirituality" chronicles how the Salvadoran Archbishop, in a country torn by massive inequality and bitter political divisions, transformed the most powerful and privileged ecclesial office in his country by putting it at the service of the most poor and vulnerable. This book takes a revered figure among Latino/a Christians and argues that his spirituality challenges Christians in the U.S. to reexamine themes such as conversion, discipleship, evangelization, and martyrdom to reimagine a robust Christian spirituality that is at once a mystical encounter with God and a prophetic engagement in justice for others.