Conclusion

This concluding chapter reframes the core arguments of the book in light of three transformations: the transformation of the author’s own hermeneutical journey from liberation theology to pragmatism and back; an account of the transformation of experience itself (specifically, how prereflective and aesthetic forms of experience may be transformed into more reflective and ethically significant forms of experience through the medium of intelligence); and the transformation, or reconstruction, of John Dewey’s philosophy of religion. Whether or not the book’s approach merits the moniker “Deweyan” or not, the author urges that the more pressing question is whether the reconstruction provided herein advances and deepens our understanding of the dynamics of faith-in-action in the context of the Americas today. The book ends with a reminder that a central insight for liberationists and pragmatists alike is one held dear by both, which is that faith is best expressed in action and by its effects: “you will know them by their fruits.”